Fibrous Structures Comprising a Movable Surface

ABSTRACT

Fibrous structures, for example sanitary tissue products, such as toilet tissue, and more particularly fibrous structures containing a movable surface and methods for making same and methods for making same are provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fibrous structures, for examplesanitary tissue products, such as toilet tissue, and more particularlyto fibrous structures comprising a movable surface and methods formaking same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Surface properties of fibrous structures, especially consumer fibrousstructures, such as sanitary tissue products, for example toilet tissue,are very important to consumers of such fibrous structures.

If a fibrous structure's surface properties are considered too roughsuch that it doesn't glide on the skin sufficiently to keep fromirritating the skin, then the fibrous structure exhibits consumernegatives for certain consumers of fibrous structures. An example ofsuch a known fibrous structure is a commercially available cellulosepulp fiber-based, wet laid fibrous structure (web material), for examplea very coarse, uncreped, through-air-dried wet laid fibrous structure.

Likewise, if a fibrous structure's surface properties are considered tooslick and/or slippery such that it glides on the skin too much, then thefibrous structure exhibits a consumer negative for certain consumers offibrous structures.

Further, if a fibrous structure's surface properties are considered toolinty such that the fibrous structure lints too much (for example thefibrous structure's surface loses fibers and/or pieces of fibers and/orfilaments at an unacceptable level for consumers of the fibrousstructures) then the fibrous structure exhibits consumer negatives forcertain consumers of fibrous structures.

Further yet, if a fibrous structure's surface properties are considerednot linty enough such that the fibrous structure doesn't lint enough(for example the fibrous structure's surface retains its fibers and/orfilaments to the detriment of softness) then the fibrous structureexhibits consumer negatives for certain consumers of fibrous structures.

Formulators have attempted to overcome the consumer negatives of suchrough and/or slick and/or linty and/or non-linty fibrous structureswithout negatively impacting the softness of the fibrous structures, bydepositing surface chemistries, such as softening agents, for examplesilicones and/or quaternary ammonium compounds, onto the surfaces offibrous structures. However, such surface chemistries have negativesassociated with them including but not limited to cost, feel, anddispersible, especially in the case of the silicones, which creates ahydrophobic surface on the fibrous structure resulting in negatives withdisposing of the fibrous structures in a toilet and/or municipalwastewater and/or sewer system due to the fibrous structure inhibiteddispersibility.

In addition to the above-described surface chemistries, formulators haveattempted to improve the surface properties of fibrous structures bydepositing spun filaments comprising a hydroxyl polymer, for example apolysaccharide, such as starch and/or a starch derivative, onto asurface of a fibrous structure, for example a wet-laid fibrousstructure. The problem with this attempt was that the spun filamentsand/or pieces thereof linted (including pilled) too much.

In light of the foregoing, there exists a problem with currenttechnologies to achieve a fibrous structure that exhibits improvedsurface properties that are not too rough, not too slick, not too linty,and not linty enough.

Accordingly, there is a need for a fibrous structure that comprises asurface that exhibits improved surface properties compared to knownfibrous structures, for example toilet tissue comprising such fibrousstructures, such that the fibrous structure's surface is not too rough,not too slick, not too linty, and not linty enough

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention fulfills the need described above by providing afibrous structure, for example a toilet tissue comprising a fibrousstructure, comprising a movable surface, wherein the movable surfacecomprises a plurality of fibrous elements, for example fibers and/orfilaments, that are bonded, for example thermally bonded and/oradhesively bonded, between at least two bond sites such that the twobond sites exhibit an edge-to-edge bond distance (between the closest,adjacent edge points of the two bond sites) of at least 1 mm and/or atleast 1.5 mm and/or at least 1.8 mm and/or at least 2.0 mm and/or atleast 2.5 mm and/or at least 3 mm By being bonded in this manner, thefibrous elements (fibers and/or filaments) on the surface of the fibrousstructure are sufficiently unbonded between the edges of the bond sitesto permit at least the portion of the fibrous elements between the edgesof the bond sites to move resulting in a movable surface.

One solution to the problem identified above is a fibrous structurecomprising a movable surface, for example a surface that exhibits abounded mobility and/or a strain-limited mobility and/or a finitemobility and/or a delimited mobility and/or a variable-modulus mobilityand/or a variable non-linear shear modulus, comprising a plurality offibrous elements, for example fibers and/or filaments, that are bonded,for example thermally bonded and/or adhesively bonded, to one anotherand/or to adjacent fibrous elements (fibers and/or filaments) within thefibrous structure such that the edge-to-edge bond distance (between theclosest, adjacent edge points of the bond sites) between at least twobond sites on the surface of the fibrous structure is at least 1 mmand/or at least 1.5 mm and/or at least 1.8 mm and/or at least 2.0 mmand/or at least 2.5 mm and/or at least 3 mm By being bonded in thismanner, the fibrous elements (fibers and/or filaments) on the surface ofthe fibrous structure are sufficiently unbonded between the edges of thebond sites to permit at least the portion of the fibrous elementsbetween the edges of the bond sites to move resulting in a movablesurface.

A fibrous structure of the present invention may comprise a movablesurface comprising a plurality of fibrous elements, for example fibersand/or filaments, that are bonded, for example thermally bonded and/oradhesively bonded, to one another and/or to adjacent fibrous elements(fibers and/or filaments) within the fibrous structure such that theedge-to-edge bond distance (between the closest, adjacent edge points ofthe bond sites) between at least two bond sites on the surface of thefibrous structure is at least 1 mm and/or at least 1.5 mm and/or atleast 1.8 mm and/or at least 2.0 mm and/or at least 2.5 mm and/or atleast 3 mm is provided. By being bonded in this manner, the fibrouselements (fibers and/or filaments) on the surface of the fibrousstructure are sufficiently unbonded between the edges of the bond sitesto permit at least the portion of the fibrous elements between the edgesof the bond sites to move resulting in a movable surface.

A roll of fibrous structure comprising a fibrous structure according tothe present invention is provided.

A package comprising one or more rolls of fibrous structure according tothe present invention is provided.

A method for making a fibrous structure of the present invention whereinthe method comprises the steps of:

-   -   a. providing a fibrous structure, for example a web material,        comprising a plurality of fibrous elements (for example fibers        and/or filaments) comprising a first surface; and    -   b. bonding, for example thermally bonding and/or adhesively        bonding, the first surface at two or more bond sites such that        an edge-to-edge bond distance (between the closest, adjacent        edge points of the bond sites) created between at least two bond        sites is at least 1 mm and/or at least 1.5 mm and/or at least        1.8 mm and/or at least 2.0 mm and/or at least 2.5 mm and/or at        least 3 mm such that the first surface comprises a movable        surface between the two bond sites is provided.

A method for making a fibrous structure of the present invention whereinthe method comprises the steps of:

-   -   a. providing a fibrous structure, for example a web material,        comprising a plurality of fibrous elements (for example fibers        and/or filaments) comprising a first surface; and    -   b. depositing a plurality of fibrous elements, for example        fibers and/or filaments, such as hydroxyl polymer filaments, for        example polysaccharide filaments, such as starch and/or starch        derivative filaments, onto the first surface of the fibrous        structure such that a second surface comprising one or more of        the fibrous elements is formed on the fibrous structure; and    -   c. bonding, for example thermally bonding and/or adhesively        bonding, the second surface at two or more bond sites such that        an edge-to-edge bond distance (between the closest, adjacent        edge points of the bond sites) created between at least two bond        sites is at least 1 mm and/or at least 1.5 mm and/or at least        1.8 mm and/or at least 2.0 mm and/or at least 2.5 mm and/or at        least 3 mm such that the second surface comprises a movable        surface between the two bond sites is provided.

The present invention provides a fibrous structure comprising a movablesurface, a roll of fibrous structure, a package of fibrous structurerolls, and a method for making such fibrous structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a fibrous structureaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a cross-section view of the fibrous structure of FIG. 1 takenalong line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a cross-section representation of the fibrous structure ofFIG. 2A schematically illustrating the movable surface of the fibrousstructure;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section representation of an example of a toilettissue according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section representation of another example of a toilettissue according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a method for making a layeredfibrous structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a patterned molding member according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the patterned molding member of FIG. 6taken along line 7-7;

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a method for making a webmaterial according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another patterned molding member accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a method for making a toilettissue according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an image of an example of an emboss pattern on a steel embossroll suitable for use with the emboss pattern to a fibrous structure plyaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an image of a fibrous structure ply with the emboss patternfrom FIG. 11 imparted to it from the steel emboss roll;

FIG. 13 is an image of a toilet tissue according to the presentinvention the incorporates as least a portion of the emboss patternimparted to the fibrous structure ply of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14A is a magnified image of a top view of an example of a fibrousstructure according to the present invention;

FIG. 14B is a magnified image of a top view of an example of a fibrousstructure according to the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of the Roll Compressibility TestMethod equipment and set-up.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions

“Fibrous element” as used herein means an elongate particulate having alength greatly exceeding its average diameter, i.e. a length to averagediameter ratio of at least about least about 10 and/or at least about100 and/or at least about 1000 and/or up to 5000. A fibrous element maybe a filament or a fiber. In one example, the fibrous element is asingle fibrous element rather than a yarn comprising a plurality offibrous elements.

The fibrous elements of the present invention may be spun from polymermelt compositions via suitable spinning operations, such as meltblowingand/or spunbonding and/or they may be obtained from natural sources suchas vegetative sources, for example trees.

The fibrous elements of the present invention may be monocomponentand/or multicomponent. For example, the fibrous elements may comprisebicomponent fibers and/or filaments. The bicomponent fibers and/orfilaments may be in any form, such as side-by-side, core and sheath,islands-in-the-sea and the like.

“Filament” as used herein means an elongate particulate as describedabove that exhibits a length of greater than or equal to 5.08 cm (2 in.)and/or greater than or equal to 7.62 cm (3 in.) and/or greater than orequal to 10.16 cm (4 in.) and/or greater than or equal to 15.24 cm (6in.). The filament may exhibit a length to average diameter ratio of atleast about 100 and/or at least about 1000 and/or up to 5000.

Filaments are typically considered continuous or substantiallycontinuous in nature. Filaments are relatively longer than fibers.Non-limiting examples of filaments include meltblown and/or spunbondfilaments. Non-limiting examples of polymers that can be spun intofilaments include natural polymers, such as starch, starch derivatives,cellulose, such as rayon and/or lyocell, and cellulose derivatives,hemicellulose, hemicellulose derivatives, and synthetic polymersincluding, but not limited to polyvinyl alcohol filaments and/orpolyvinyl alcohol derivative filaments, and thermoplastic polymerfilaments, such as polyesters, nylons, polyolefins such as polypropylenefilaments, polyethylene filaments, and biodegradable or compostablethermoplastic fibers such as polylactic acid filaments,polyhydroxyalkanoate filaments, polyesteramide filaments, andpolycaprolactone filaments. The filaments may be monocomponent ormulticomponent, such as bicomponent filaments.

“Fiber” as used herein means an elongate particulate as described abovethat exhibits a length of less than 5.08 cm (2 in.) and/or less than3.81 cm (1.5 in.) and/or less than 2.54 cm (1 in.). The fiber mayexhibit a length to average diameter ratio of less than 100 and/or lessthan about 50 and/or less than about 25 and/or about 10.

Fibers are typically considered discontinuous in nature. Non-limitingexamples of fibers include pulp fibers, such as wood pulp fibers, andsynthetic staple fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester,copolymers thereof, rayon, lyocell, glass fibers and polyvinyl alcoholfibers.

Staple fibers, for example synthetic staple fibers, may be produced byspinning a filament tow and then cutting the tow into segments of lessthan 5.08 cm (2 in.) thus producing fibers; namely, staple fibers.

In one example of the present invention, a fiber may be a naturallyoccurring fiber, which means it is obtained from a naturally occurringsource, such as a vegetative source, for example a tree and/or plant,such as trichomes. Such fibers are typically used in papermaking and areoftentimes referred to as papermaking fibers. Papermaking fibers usefulin the present invention include cellulosic fibers commonly known aswood pulp fibers. Applicable wood pulps include chemical pulps, such asKraft, sulfite, and sulfate pulps, as well as mechanical pulpsincluding, for example, groundwood, thermomechanical pulp and chemicallymodified thermomechanical pulp. Chemical pulps, however, may bepreferred since they impart a superior tactile sense of softness tofibrous structures made therefrom. Pulps derived from both deciduoustrees (hereinafter, also referred to as “hardwood”) and coniferous trees(hereinafter, also referred to as “softwood”) may be utilized. Thehardwood and softwood fibers can be blended, or alternatively, can bedeposited in layers to provide a stratified web. Also applicable to thepresent invention are fibers derived from recycled paper, which maycontain any or all of the above categories of fibers as well as othernon-fibrous polymers such as fillers, softening agents, wet and drystrength agents, and adhesives used to facilitate the originalpapermaking.

In one example, the wood pulp fibers are selected from the groupconsisting of hardwood pulp fibers, softwood pulp fibers, and mixturesthereof. The hardwood pulp fibers may be selected from the groupconsisting of: tropical hardwood pulp fibers, northern hardwood pulpfibers, and mixtures thereof. The tropical hardwood pulp fibers may beselected from the group consisting of: eucalyptus fibers, acacia fibers,and mixtures thereof. The northern hardwood pulp fibers may be selectedfrom the group consisting of: cedar fibers, maple fibers, and mixturesthereof.

In addition to the various wood pulp fibers, other cellulosic fiberssuch as cotton linters, rayon, lyocell, trichomes, seed hairs, andbagasse fibers can be used in this invention. Other sources of cellulosein the form of fibers or capable of being spun into fibers includegrasses and grain sources.

“Trichome” or “trichome fiber” as used herein means an epidermalattachment of a varying shape, structure and/or function of a non-seedportion of a plant. In one example, a trichome is an outgrowth of theepidermis of a non-seed portion of a plant. The outgrowth may extendfrom an epidermal cell. In one embodiment, the outgrowth is a trichomefiber. The outgrowth may be a hairlike or bristlelike outgrowth from theepidermis of a plant.

Trichome fibers are different from seed hair fibers in that they are notattached to seed portions of a plant. For example, trichome fibers,unlike seed hair fibers, are not attached to a seed or a seed podepidermis. Cotton, kapok, milkweed, and coconut coir are non-limitingexamples of seed hair fibers.

Further, trichome fibers are different from nonwood bast and/or corefibers in that they are not attached to the bast, also known as phloem,or the core, also known as xylem portions of a nonwood dicotyledonousplant stem. Non-limiting examples of plants which have been used toyield nonwood bast fibers and/or nonwood core fibers include kenaf,jute, flax, ramie and hemp. Further trichome fibers are different frommonocotyledonous plant derived fibers such as those derived from cerealstraws (wheat, rye, barley, oat, etc), stalks (corn, cotton, sorghum,Hesperaloe funifera, etc.), canes (bamboo, bagasse, etc.), grasses(esparto, lemon, sabai, switchgrass, etc), since such monocotyledonousplant derived fibers are not attached to an epidermis of a plant.

Further, trichome fibers are different from leaf fibers in that they donot originate from within the leaf structure. Sisal and abaca aresometimes liberated as leaf fibers.

Finally, trichome fibers are different from wood pulp fibers since woodpulp fibers are not outgrowths from the epidermis of a plant; namely, atree. Wood pulp fibers rather originate from the secondary xylem portionof the tree stem.

“Fibrous structure” as used herein means a structure that comprises aweb material comprising a plurality of fibrous elements, for example aplurality of fibers, such as a plurality of pulp fibers, such as woodpulp fibers and/or non-wood pulp fibers, for example plant fibers,synthetic staple fibers, and mixtures thereof. In addition to pulpfibers, the web material may comprise a plurality of filaments, such aspolymeric filaments, for example thermoplastic filaments such aspolyolefin filaments (i.e., polypropylene filaments), polyesterfilament, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filaments and/or hydroxylpolymer filaments, for example polyvinyl alcohol filaments and/orpolysaccharide filaments such as starch filaments, such as in the formof a coform web material where the fibers and filaments are commingledtogether and/or are present as discrete or substantially discrete layerswithin the web material. A web material according to the presentinvention means an orderly arrangement of fibers alone and/or withfilaments within a structure in order to perform a function. A fibrousstructure according to the present invention means an association offibrous elements that together form a structure capable of performing afunction. A fibrous structure may comprise a plurality ofinter-entangled fibrous elements, for example inter-entangled filaments.Non-limiting examples of web materials of the present invention includepaper.

Non-limiting examples of processes for making the web material of thefibrous structures of the present invention include known wet-laidpapermaking processes, for example conventional wet-pressed (CWP)papermaking processes and structure paper-making processes, for examplethrough-air-dried (TAD), both creped TAD and uncreped TAD, papermakingprocesses, fabric-creped papermaking processes, belt-creped papermakingprocesses, ATMOS papermaking processes, NTT papermaking processes, andair-laid papermaking processes. Such processes typically include stepsof preparing a fiber composition in the form of a fiber suspension in amedium, either wet, more specifically aqueous medium, or dry, morespecifically gaseous, i.e. with air as medium. The aqueous medium usedfor wet-laid processes is oftentimes referred to as a fiber slurry. Thefiber slurry is then used to deposit a plurality of the fibers onto aforming wire, fabric, or belt such that an embryonic web material isformed, after which drying and/or bonding the fibers together results ina web material, for example the web material. Further processing of theweb material may be carried out such that a finished web material isformed. For example, in typical papermaking processes, the finished webmaterial is the web material that is wound on the reel at the end ofpapermaking, often referred to as a parent roll, and may subsequently beconverted into a finished fibrous structure of the present invention,e.g. a single- or multi-ply fibrous structure and/or a single- ormulti-ply toilet tissue.

The web material is a coformed web material comprising a plurality offilaments and a plurality of fibers commingled together as a result of acoforming process.

“Basis Weight” as used herein is the weight per unit area of a samplereported in lbs/3000 ft² or g/m² (gsm) and is measured according to theBasis Weight Test Method described herein.

“Machine Direction” or “MD” as used herein means the direction parallelto the flow of the fibrous structure through the fibrous structuremaking machine and/or toilet tissue manufacturing equipment.

“Cross Machine Direction” or “CD” as used herein means the directionparallel to the width of the fibrous structure making machine and/ortoilet tissue manufacturing equipment and perpendicular to the machinedirection.

“Ply” as used herein means an individual, integral fibrous structure.

“Plies” as used herein means two or more individual, integral fibrousstructures disposed in a substantially contiguous, face-to-facerelationship with one another, forming a multi-ply fibrous structureand/or multi-ply toilet tissue. It is also contemplated that anindividual, integral fibrous structure can effectively form a multi-plyfibrous structure, for example, by being folded on itself.

“Embossed” as used herein with respect to a web material, a fibrousstructure, and/or a toilet tissue means that a web material, a fibrousstructure, and/or a toilet tissue has been subjected to a process whichconverts a smooth surfaced web material, fibrous structure, and/ortoilet tissue to a decorative surface by replicating a design on one ormore emboss rolls, which form a nip through which the web material,fibrous structure, and/or toilet tissue passes. Embossed does notinclude creping, microcreping, printing or other processes that may alsoimpart a texture and/or decorative pattern to a web material, a fibrousstructure, and/or a toilet tissue.

“Differential density”, as used herein, means a web material thatcomprises one or more regions of relatively low fiber density, which arereferred to as pillow regions, and one or more regions of relativelyhigh fiber density, which are referred to as knuckle regions.

“Densified”, as used herein means a portion of a fibrous structureand/or toilet tissue that is characterized by regions of relatively highfiber density (knuckle regions).

“Non-densified”, as used herein, means a portion of a fibrous structureand/or toilet tissue that exhibits a lesser density (one or more regionsof relatively lower fiber density) (pillow regions) than another portion(for example a knuckle region) of the fibrous structure and/or toilettissue.

“Non-rolled” as used herein with respect to a fibrous structure and/ortoilet tissue of the present invention means that the fibrous structureand/or toilet tissue is an individual sheet (for example not connectedto adjacent sheets by perforation lines. However, two or more individualsheets may be interleaved with one another) that is not convolutedlywound about a core or itself.

“Creped” as used herein means creped off of a Yankee dryer or othersimilar roll and/or fabric creped and/or belt creped. Rush transfer of afibrous structure alone does not result in a “creped” fibrous structureor “creped” toilet tissue for purposes of the present invention.

“Toilet tissue” as used herein means a soft, relatively low densityfibrous structure, for example a multi-ply two or more or three or morefibrous structure plies useful as a wiping implement for post-urinaryand post-bowel movement cleaning. The toilet tissue may be convolutedlywound upon itself about a core or without a core to form a toilet tissueroll (roll of toilet tissue) or may be in the form of discrete sheets.When in the form of a roll of toilet tissue, the roll of toilet tissuemay exhibit a roll compressibility (% Compressibility) as measuredaccording to the Roll Compressibility Test Method described herein offrom about 4% to about 8% and/or from about 4% to about 7% and/or fromabout 4% to about 6%.

In one example, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, ofthe present invention comprises one or more fibrous structures accordingto the present invention.

The toilet tissue and/or fibrous structures of the present inventionmaking up the toilet tissue may exhibit a basis weight between about 1g/m² to about 5000 g/m² and/or from about 10 g/m² to about 500 g/m²and/or from about 10 g/m² to about 300 g/m² and/or from about 10 g/m² toabout 120 g/m² and/or from about 15 g/m² to about 110 g/m² and/or fromabout 20 g/m² to about 100 g/m² and/or from about 30 to 90 g/m² asdetermined by the Basis Weight Test Method described herein. Inaddition, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of thepresent invention may exhibit a basis weight between about 10 g/m² toabout 120 g/m² and/or from about 10 g/m² to about 80 g/m² and/or fromabout 10 to about 60 g/m² and/or from about 10 g/m² to about 55 g/m²and/or from about 20 g/m² to about 55 g/m² as determined by the BasisWeight Test Method described herein.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a total dry tensile strength of greater than about59 g/cm (greater than about 150 g/in) and/or greater than about 78 g/cm(greater than about 200 g/in) and/or greater than about 98 g/cm (greaterthan about 250 g/in) and/or greater than about 138 g/cm (greater thanabout 350 g/in) and/or from about 78 g/cm (about 200 g/in) to about 394g/cm (about 1000 g/in) and/or from about 98 g/cm (about 250 g/in) toabout 335 g/cm (about 850 g/in) as measured according to the Dry TensileTest Method described herein. In addition, the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention may exhibit a total drytensile strength of greater than about 196 g/cm (greater than about 500g/in) and/or from about 196 g/cm (about 500 g/in) to about 394 g/cm(about 1000 g/in) and/or from about 216 g/cm (about 550 g/in) to about335 g/cm (about 850 g/in) and/or from about 236 g/cm (about 600 g/in) toabout 315 g/cm (about 800 g/in). In one example, the toilet tissueexhibits a total dry tensile strength of less than about 394 g/cm (lessthan about 1000 g/in) and/or less than about 335 g/cm (less than about850 g/in) as measured according to the Dry Tensile Test Method describedherein.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a density of less than 0.60 g/cm³ and/or less than0.30 g/cm³ and/or less than 0.20 g/cm³ and/or less than 0.15 g/cm³and/or less than 0.10 g/cm³ and/or less than 0.07 g/cm³ and/or less than0.05 g/cm³ and/or from about 0.01 g/cm³ to about 0.20 g/cm³ and/or fromabout 0.02 g/cm³ to about 0.15 g/cm³ and/or from about 0.02 g/cm³ toabout 0.10 g/cm³.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may be in the form of toilet tissue rolls. Such toilet tissuerolls may comprise a plurality of connected, but perforated sheets offibrous structure, that are separably dispensable from adjacent sheets.

The toilet tissue and/or fibrous structures making up the fibrousstructure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention maycomprise additives such as softening agents, temporary wet strengthagents, permanent wet strength agents, bulk softening agents, lotions,silicones, wetting agents, latexes, patterned latexes and other types ofadditives suitable for inclusion in and/or on toilet tissue.

“Hydroxyl polymer” as used herein includes any hydroxyl-containingpolymer that can be incorporated into a filament of the presentinvention. In one example, the hydroxyl polymer of the present inventionincludes greater than 10% and/or greater than 20% and/or greater than25% by weight hydroxyl moieties. In another example, the hydroxyl withinthe hydroxyl-containing polymer is not part of a larger functional groupsuch as a carboxylic acid group.

“Chemically different” as used herein with respect to two hydroxylpolymers means that the hydroxyl polymers are at least differentstructurally, and/or at least different in properties and/or at leastdifferent in classes of chemicals, for example polysaccharides, such asstarch, versus non-polysaccharides, such as polyvinyl alcohol, and/or atleast different in their respective solubility parameters.

“Non-thermoplastic” as used herein means, with respect to a material,such as a fibrous element as a whole and/or a polymer, such as acrosslinked polymer, within a fibrous element, that the fibrous elementand/or polymer exhibits no melting point and/or softening point, whichallows it to flow under pressure, in the absence of a plasticizer, suchas water, glycerin, sorbitol, urea and the like.

“Non-cellulose-containing” as used herein means that less than 5% and/orless than 3% and/or less than 1% and/or less than 0.1% and/or 0% byweight of cellulose polymer, cellulose derivative polymer and/orcellulose copolymer is present in fibrous element. In one example,“non-cellulose-containing” means that less than 5% and/or less than 3%and/or less than 1% and/or less than 0.1% and/or 0% by weight ofcellulose polymer is present in fibrous element.

“Fast wetting surfactant” and/or “fast wetting surfactant component”and/or “fast wetting surfactant function” as used herein means asurfactant and/or surfactant component, such as an ion from a fastwetting surfactant, for example a sulfosuccinate diester ion (anion),that exhibits a Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of greater 0.15% byweight and/or at least 0.25% and/or at least 0.50% and/or at least 0.75%and/or at least 1.0% and/or at least 1.25% and/or at least 1.4% and/orless than 10.0% and/or less than 7.0% and/or less than 4.0% and/or lessthan 3.0% and/or less than 2.0% by weight.

“Polymer melt composition” or “Polysaccharide melt composition” as usedherein means a composition comprising water and a melt processedpolymer, such as a melt processed fibrous element-forming polymer, forexample a melt processed hydroxyl polymer, such as a melt processedpolysaccharide.

“Melt processed fibrous element-forming polymer” as used herein meansany polymer, which by influence of elevated temperatures, pressureand/or external plasticizers may be softened to such a degree that itcan be brought into a flowable state, and in this condition, may beshaped as desired.

“Melt processed hydroxyl polymer” as used herein means any polymer thatcontains greater than 10% and/or greater than 20% and/or greater than25% by weight hydroxyl groups and that has been melt processed, with orwithout the aid of an external plasticizer. More generally, meltprocessed hydroxyl polymers include polymers, which by the influence ofelevated temperatures, pressure and/or external plasticizers may besoftened to such a degree that they can be brought into a flowablestate, and in this condition, may be shaped as desired.

“Blend” as used herein means that two or more materials, such as afibrous element-forming polymer, for example a hydroxyl polymer and apolyacrylamide are in contact with each other, such as mixed togetherhomogeneously or non-homogeneously, within a filament. In other words, afilament formed from one material, but having an exterior coating ofanother material is not a blend of materials for purposes of the presentinvention. However, a fibrous element formed from two differentmaterials is a blend of materials for purposes of the present inventioneven if the fibrous element further comprises an exterior coating of amaterial.

“Associate,” “Associated,” “Association,” and/or “Associating” as usedherein with respect to fibrous elements and/or with respect to a surfaceand/or surface material comprising fibrous elements, such as filaments,being associated with a fibrous structure and/or a web material and/or alayer being associated with another layer within a layered fibrousstructure means combining, either in direct contact or in indirectcontact, fibrous elements and/or a surface material with a web materialsuch that a fibrous structure is formed. In other words, “layered” inthis context means the fibrous structure is not made up of separateplies of fibrous structures or web materials that are laminated and/oradhesively bonded with one another to form a multi-ply fibrousstructure, but rather is made up of a web material upon which a surfacematerial (not in the form of a pre-formed web material, but rather inthe form of fibrous elements, such as filaments) is deposited, directlyor indirectly, onto the web material. In one example, the associatedfibrous elements and/or associated surface material may be bonded to theweb material, directly or indirectly, for example by adhesives and/orthermal bonds to form adhesive sites and/or thermal bond sites,respectively, within the fibrous structure. In another example, thefibrous elements and/or surface material may be associated with the webmaterial, directly or indirectly, by being deposited onto the same webmaterial making belt.

“Average Diameter” as used herein, with respect to a fibrous element, ismeasured according to the Average Diameter Test Method described herein.In one example, a fibrous element, for example a filament, of thepresent invention exhibits an average diameter of less than 50 μm and/orless than 25 μm and/or less than 20 μm and/or less than 15 μm and/orless than 10 μm and/or less than 6 μm and/or greater than 1 μm and/orgreater than 3 μm.

“3D pattern” with respect to a fibrous structure and/or toilet tissue'ssurface in accordance with the present invention means herein a patternthat is present on at least one surface of the fibrous structure and/ortoilet tissue. The 3D pattern texturizes the surface of the fibrousstructure and/or toilet tissue, for example by providing the surfacewith protrusions and/or depressions. The 3D pattern on the surface ofthe fibrous structure and/or toilet tissue is made by making the toilettissue or at least one fibrous structure ply employed in the toilettissue on a patterned molding member that imparts the 3D pattern to thetoilet tissue and/or fibrous structure plies made thereon.

“Water-resistant” as it refers to a surface pattern or part thereofmeans that a 3D pattern retains its structure and/or integrity afterbeing saturated by water and the 3D pattern is still visible to aconsumer. In one example, the 3D pattern may be water-resistant.

“Wet textured” as used herein means that a 3D patterned fibrousstructure ply comprises texture (for example a three-dimensionaltopography) imparted to the fibrous structure and/or fibrous structure'ssurface during a fibrous structure making process. In one example, in awet-laid fibrous structure making process, wet texture can be impartedto a fibrous structure upon fibers and/or filaments being collected on acollection device that has a three-dimensional (3D) surface whichimparts a 3D surface to the fibrous structure being formed thereonand/or being transferred to a fabric and/or belt, such as athrough-air-drying fabric and/or a patterned drying belt, comprising a3D surface that imparts a 3D surface to a fibrous structure being formedthereon. In one example, the collection device with a 3D surfacecomprises a patterned, such as a patterned formed by a polymer or resinbeing deposited onto a base substrate, such as a fabric, in a patternedconfiguration. The wet texture imparted to a wet-laid fibrous structureis formed in the fibrous structure prior to and/or during drying of thefibrous structure. Non-limiting examples of collection devices and/orfabric and/or belts suitable for imparting wet texture to a fibrousstructure include those fabrics and/or belts used in fabric crepingand/or belt creping processes, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 7,820,008 and 7,789,995, coarse through-air-drying fabrics as usedin uncreped through-air-drying processes, and photo-curable resinpatterned through-air-drying belts, for example as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,637,859. Wet texture is different from non-wet texture thatis imparted to a fibrous structure after the fibrous structure has beendried, for example after the moisture level of the fibrous structure isless than 15% and/or less than 10% and/or less than 5%. An example ofnon-wet texture includes embossments imparted to a fibrous structure byembossing rolls during converting of the fibrous structure.

As used herein, the articles “a” and “an” when used herein, for example,“an anionic surfactant” or “a fiber” is understood to mean one or moreof the material that is claimed or described.

All percentages and ratios are calculated by weight unless otherwiseindicated. All percentages and ratios are calculated based on the totalcomposition unless otherwise indicated.

Unless otherwise noted, all component or composition levels are inreference to the active level of that component or composition, and areexclusive of impurities, for example, residual solvents or by-products,which may be present in commercially available sources.

Fibrous Structure

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, an example of a fibrous structure 10 of thepresent invention, for example a toilet tissue, may comprise a layeredfibrous structure ply 12 and/or a non-layered fibrous structure ply (notshown). The layered fibrous structure ply 12 may comprise a first layer26, which may be a first web material 18, of the present invention. Thefirst web material 18 may itself be layered, for example a layeredwet-laid fibrous structure. The first web material 18 of the first layer26 may comprise a plurality of naturally-occurring fibrous elements, forexample fibers 22, such as pulp fibers that exhibit a length of lessthan 5.08 cm and/or less than 3.81 cm and/or less than 3 cm and/or lessthan 2.54 cm and/or less than 1 cm and/or less than 8 mm and/or lessthan 5 mm.

The second layer 28 of the layered fibrous structure ply 12 may comprisea plurality of fibrous elements, for example filaments 24, for examplespun filaments and/or non-naturally occurring filaments, for examplehydroxyl polymer filaments. The filaments 24 of the second layer mayexhibit a length of 5.08 cm or greater and/or 7.62 cm or greater and/or10.16 cm or greater and/or 15.24 cm or greater. The filaments 24 of thesecond layer 28 may form a surface material on a surface of the firstweb material 18 of the first layer 26. The filaments 24 of the secondlayer 28 may be in the form of a web material 18 after being depositedonto the first web material 18 of the first layer 26.

The filaments 24 of the second layer 28 may comprise a pre-formed webmaterial that is associated with the first web material 18 of the firstlayer 26 in a multi-ply configuration.

The filaments 24 of the second layer 28, which may form a surfacematerial on the first web material 18 of the first layer 26, may beassociated with the first web material 18 by bonding at bond sites 25,such as thermal bond sites and/or adhesive bond sites. One or more ofthe filaments 24 of the second layer 28 may be bonded to the first webmaterial 18 of the first layer 26 at two or more bond sites wherein atleast two of the bond sites exhibit an edge-to-edge bond distance Emeasured between the closest, adjacent edge points of the two bond sites25 of at least 1 mm and/or at least 1.5 mm and/or at least 1.8 mm and/orat least 2 mm and/or at least 2.5 mm and/or at least 2.5 mm and/or atleast 3 mm such that the filaments 24 of the second layer 28 are movablebecause they are relatively unbonded and form a movable, for exampleunbonded exterior surface 30, for example a surface that exhibits abounded mobility and/or a strain-limited mobility and/or a finitemobility and/or a delimited mobility and/or a variable-modulus mobilityand/or a variable non-linear shear modulus, of the fibrous structure 10,for example toilet tissue, as represented schematically in FIG. 2B. FIG.2B schematically represents that the filament 24 is movable from itsoriginal state shown in the dotted line of FIG. 2B to an example of amoved state, which is an exaggerated representation shown in FIG. 2B,where for example the filament 24 is thinned at one edge of a bond site25 and bulging along the direction of the arrow up to about the edge ofanother bond site 25.

The bond sites 25 may be present on the fibrous structure 10 of thepresent invention at a bond area of from about 2% to about 30% and/orfrom about 4% to about 25% and/or from about 4% to about 20% and/or fromabout 5% to about 15% and/or from about 5% to about 12%.

The filaments 24 of the second layer 28 may comprise hydroxyl polymerfilaments, for example starch and/or starch derivative filaments,present at a level of greater than 2.5 gsm and/or greater than 3 gsmand/or greater than 3.5 gsm and/or greater than 4 gsm and/or greaterthan 4.5 gsm and/or less than 40 gsm and/or less than 35 gsm and/or lessthan 25 gsm and/or less than 20 gsm and/or less than 15 gsm and/or lessthan 12 gsm and/or less than 10 gsm and/or from about 2.5 gsm to about15 gsm and/or from about 3 gsm to about 12 gsm and/or from about 3.5 gsmto about 10 gsm and/or from about 4 gsm to about 10 gsm.

The fibers 22 of the first layer 26 (first web material 18) may bepresent at a level of greater than 6 and/or greater than 8 and/orgreater than greater than 10 and/or greater than 12 and/or greater than14 and/or greater than 16 and/or at least 18 and/or less than 55 and/orless than 50 and/or less than 40 and/or less than 35 and/or less than 30and/or less than 25 gsm.

The filaments 24 of the second layer 28 may comprise a crosslinkedpolymer, for example crosslinked starch and/or starch derivative and/orcrosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, crosslinked by a first crosslinkingagent, such as dihydroxyethyleneurea, and the first web material 18 ofthe first layer 26 may comprise a second crosslinking agent differentfrom the first crosslinking agent, such as a crosslinking agent thatcrosslinks its fibrous elements together, such as temporary wet strengthcrosslinking agents utilized in toilet tissue, for examplepolyamide-epichlorohydrin chemistries.

A third layer 32, when present as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, may mitigateand/or prevent pilling of the filaments 24 of the second layer 28(surface material) during use by a consumer. The third layer 32 maycomprise a plurality of filaments 24, which are different from thefilaments 24 of the second layer 28. When present, the filaments 24 ofthe third layer 32 may be present at a weight level of less than theweight level of the filaments 24 of the second layer 28. The filaments24 of the third layer 28 may be present at a basis weight of from about0.10 gsm to about 5 gsm and/or 0.15 gsm to about 5 gsm and/or from about0.20 gsm to about 5 gsm and/or from about 0.25 gsm to about 5 gsm and/orfrom about 0.5 gsm to about 4 gsm and/or from about 1 gsm to about 3 gsmand the filaments 24 of the second layer 28 may be present at a basisweight of greater than 6 gsm and/or greater than 8 gsm and/or greaterthan 9 gsm and/or greater than 10 gsm and/or from about 10 gsm to about40 gsm and/or to about 25 gsm. The filaments 24 of the third layer 32may comprise a hydroxyl polymer different from the hydroxyl polymer ofthe filaments 24 of the second layer 28. The filaments 24 of the thirdlayer 32 may comprise polyvinyl alcohol and the filaments 24 of thesecond layer 28 may comprise a polysaccharide, for example starch and/ora starch derivative.

The filaments 24 of the third layer 32 may be bonded at two or more bondsites (not shown), for example via thermal bonding and/or adhesivebonding, at a bond area greater than the bond area of the filaments 24of the second layer 28 and/or at an edge-to-edge bond distance E lessthan the edge-to-edge bond distance E between at least two bond sites 25of the filaments 24 of the second layer 28, for example at anedge-to-edge bond distance E of less than 1 mm and/or less than 0.75 mmand/or less than 0.5 mm and/or less than 0.4 mm, so long as thefilaments 24 of the second layer 28 are bonded at an edge-to-edge bonddistance E as described herein, such that the fibrous structure 10exhibits a surface comprising a movable surface between the bond sites25 of the second layer 28.

The filaments 24 of the third layer 32 may be present on the layeredfibrous structure ply 12 at a level of less than about 10% and/or lessthan about 8% and/or less than about 7% and/or less than about 5% and/orless than about 3% and/or less than about 1% and/or to about 0% and/orgreater than 0% by weight of the layered fibrous structure ply 12.

The filaments 24 of the third layer 32 may comprise a hydroxyl polymer,for example a non-polysaccharide, such as polyvinyl alcohol and/or apolymer that exhibits a solubility parameter greater than 16.0 MPa^(1/2)and/or greater than 17.0 MPa^(1/2) and/or greater than 18.0 MPa^(1/2)and/or greater than 18.8 MPa^(1/2) and/or greater than 19.0 MPa^(1/2)and/or greater than 20.0 MPa^(1/2) and less than 25.6 MPa^(1/2) and/orless than 25.0 MPa^(1/2) and/or less than 24.0 MPa^(1/2) and/or lessthan 23.0 MPa^(1/2).

The layered fibrous structure ply 12 (first fibrous structure ply) maybe made by the fibrous structure making process 38 shown in FIG. 5 byproviding a first layer 26 comprising a first web material 18 comprisinga plurality of fibrous elements, for example fibers 22, and depositing asecond layer 28, for example a plurality of fibrous elements, forexample filaments 24, from one or more and/or two or more filamentsources 40, such as a die, for example a meltblow die, such as amulti-row capillary die to form a layer of inter-entangled filaments 24,onto at least one surface of the first web material 18 to form the alayered fibrous structure. When a third layer 32 is applied to thefilaments 24 of second layer 28, at least one of the filament sources 40deposits the filaments 24 of the third layer 32 such that at least aportion of the filaments 24 of the second layer 28 is positioned betweenthe first web material 18 of the first layer 26 and the filaments 24 ofthe third layer 32. The layered fibrous structure making process 38 mayfurther comprise the step of associating the filaments 24 of the secondlayer 28 to the first web material 18 of the first layer 26 such as bybonding, for example creating thermal bonds by passing the filaments 24of the second layer 28 riding on the first web material 18 of the firstlayer 26 through a nip 42 formed by a patterned thermal bond roll 44 anda flat roll 46. The fibrous structure making process 38 may optionallycomprise the step of winding the layered fibrous structure ply (firstfibrous structure ply 12) into a roll, such as a parent roll forunwinding in a converting operation to cut the roll intoconsumer-useable sized toilet tissue rolls and/or emboss the fibrousstructure and/or perforate the fibrous structure into consumer-useablesized sheets of toilet tissue. In addition, the roll of fibrousstructure may be combined with another fibrous structure ply, the sameor different as the roll of fibrous structure to make a multi-ply toilettissue according to the present invention, an example of which is shownin FIGS. 1-4.

In addition, the layered fibrous structure ply 12 (first fibrousstructure ply) of the present invention may be non-lotioned and/or maynot contain a post-applied surface chemistry (in other words, thelayered fibrous structure 12 may be void of surface chemistries). Inanother example, the layered fibrous structures 12 of the presentinvention may be lotioned and/or may contain a post-applied surfacechemistry. In another example, the layered fibrous structures 12 of thepresent invention may be creped or uncreped. In one example, the layeredfibrous structures 12 of the present invention are uncreped fibrousstructures.

In addition to the layered fibrous structure ply 12 (first fibrousstructure ply) of the present invention exhibiting improved surfaceproperties as described herein, such layered fibrous structures 12 alsomay exhibit improved cleaning properties, for example bowel movementcleaning properties, compared to known fibrous structures, for exampleknown fibrous structures comprising hydroxyl polymer filaments and knownfibrous structures, such as wet-laid and/or air-laid, comprisingcellulose fibers, for example pulp fibers. Without wishing to be boundby theory, it is believed that the layered fibrous structures 12 of thepresent invention exhibit improved skin benefit and/or glide on skinproperties and/or cleaning properties due to the hydroxyl polymerfibrous elements of the present invention exhibiting greater absorbency,without a gooey feel, than pulp fibers, and therefore facilitatesbetter, in reality and/or perception, absorption of bowel movementand/or urine more completely and/or faster than known fibrousstructures. In addition, it is believed that the layered fibrousstructures 12 of the present invention that comprise a plurality ofhydroxyl polymer fibrous elements, for example hydroxyl polymerfilaments in an exterior layer, such as a scrim layer, provides animproved absorbency, without a gooey feel, than known fibrousstructures, such that the hydroxyl polymer fibrous elements during usecontact the user's skin surface and trap and/or lock in the bowelmovement or portions thereof. Further, it is believed that the fibrousstructures of the present invention that comprise a plurality ofhydroxyl polymer fibrous elements, for example hydroxyl polymerfilaments in an exterior layer that provide improved surface propertiespermits a user to apply more force to the fibrous structure during usebecause the hydroxyl polymer fibrous elements provide a cushion and/orbuffer compared to known fibrous structures, especially known wet-laidand/or air-laid fibrous structures that consist or consist essentiallyof pulp fibers.

The layered fibrous structure ply 12 (first fibrous structure ply) ofthe present invention may be embossed and/or tufted that creates athree-dimensional surface pattern that provides aesthetics and/orimproved cleaning properties. The level of improved cleaning propertiesrelates to the % contact area under a load, such as a user's forceapplied to the fibrous structure during wiping, and/or % volume/areaunder a load, such as a user's force applied to the fibrous structureduring wiping, created by the three-dimensional surface pattern on thesurface of the fibrous structure. In one example, the emboss area may begreater than 10% and/or greater than 12% and/or greater than 15% and/orgreater than 20% of the surface area of at least one surface of thefibrous structure.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention comprises two or more and/or three ormore fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16. At least two and/or at leastthree or more of the fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 are differentfrom one another, for example in texture, caliper, basis weight, fibrouselement (fibers and/or filaments) composition. At least two of thefibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 may comprise a web material 18 thatis the same as the other, for example the two outer web materials 18 inFIG. 4. Further, at least two or more and/or at least three of more ofthe fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 may be laminated and/or bondedtogether, for example adhesively bonded together, such as by a plybondglue 20, for example a hot melt glue and/or a cold glue. At least two ofthe fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 may be bonded together, forexample adhesively bonded together in a pattern, for example anon-random repeating pattern and/or a stripe. At least three of thefibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 may be bonded together, for exampleadhesively bonded together in a pattern, for example a non-randomrepeating pattern and/or a stripe. The fibrous structure 10, for exampletoilet tissue, of the present invention may comprise a first fibrousstructure ply (layered fibrous structure ply 12), which in FIGS. 1-4 isa layered fibrous structure ply 12, and a second fibrous structure ply14 that are bonded together, for example adhesively bonded together in afirst pattern and the third fibrous structure ply 16, when present, andsecond fibrous structure ply 14, may be bonded together, for exampleadhesively bonded together in a second pattern, which may be the same ordifferent from the first pattern.

At least one of the fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 of the fibrousstructure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention maycomprise a layered fibrous structure ply 12 comprising one or morelayers of fibers 22, for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulp fibersin the form of a web material 18, for example a layered wet-laid fibrousstructure ply, such as a structured layered wet-laid fibrous structureply. When the web material 18 comprises two or more layers of fibers 22,the fibers 22 of the layers may be different, for example one layer maycomprise hardwood pulp fibers, such as eucalyptus fibers and the otherlayer may comprise softwood pulp fiber, such as NSK fibers. The layersof fibers 22 may be associated with one another to form a web material18, for example a layered wet-laid fibrous structure ply, such as astructured, layered wet-laid fibrous structure ply.

At least one and/or at least two and/or at least three of the fibrousstructure plies 12, 14, 16 of the fibrous structure 10, for exampletoilet tissue, of the present invention may comprise a web material 18,which may be the same and/or different to one another. The fibrousstructure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention maycomprise a first web material 18 (fibrous structure ply 12), for examplea wet-laid fibrous structure ply, such as a structured wet laid fibrousstructure ply that exhibits a first caliper, a second web material 18(fibrous structure ply 14), for example a wet-laid fibrous structureply, such as a structured wet-laid fibrous structure ply that exhibits asecond caliper, and a third web material 18 (fibrous structure ply 16),when present, for example a wet-laid fibrous structure ply, such as astructured wet-laid fibrous structure ply that exhibits a third caliper,wherein the first caliper, second caliper, and third caliper, whenpresent, may be the same, different, and/or at least two may bedifferent from one another and/or at least two may be the same as oneanother. The second web material (fibrous structure ply 14) may exhibitthe highest caliper within the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue. The first, second, and third web materials 18 may each belayered fibrous structures, for example layered wet-laid fibrousstructures, such as structured, layered wet-laid fibrous structures,and/or non-layered fibrous structures, for example non-layered wet-laidfibrous structures, such as structured, non-layered wet-laid fibrousstructures, and/or a mix of layered fibrous structures, for examplelayered wet-laid fibrous structures, such as structured, layeredwet-laid fibrous structures, and non-layered fibrous structures, forexample non-layered wet-laid fibrous structures, such as structured,non-layered wet-laid fibrous structures.

The fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16 and/or toilet tissues 10 of thepresent invention may be embossed and/or tufted that creates athree-dimensional surface pattern that provides aesthetics and/orimproved cleaning properties. In one example, the emboss area may begreater than 10% and/or greater than 12% and/or greater than 15% and/orgreater than 20% of the surface area of at least one surface of thetoilet tissue.

It has unexpectedly been found that the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention may exhibit a caliper ofgreater than 20.0 mils and/or at least about 22.0 mils and/or at leastabout 24.0 mils and/or at least about 26.0 mils and/or at least about27.0 mils as measured according to the Caliper Test Method. The fibrousstructure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention mayexhibit a caliper of from about 27.0 mils to about 32.0 mils and/or fromabout 27.0 mils to about 30.0 mils as measured according to the CaliperTest Method.

It has unexpectedly been found that the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention may exhibit a CRTCapacity of greater than 15 g/g and/or at least about 17 g/g and/or atleast about 19 g/g and/or at least about 20 g/g as measured according tothe CRT Test Method. The fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention may exhibit a CRT Capacity of fromabout 20 g/g to about 28 g/g and/or of from about 20 g/g to about 25 g/gas measured according to the CRT Test Method.

It has unexpectedly been found that the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention may exhibit exhibits aPlate Stiffness of less than about 10 N*mm and/or less than about 8 N*mmand/or less than about 6 N*mm as measured according to the PlateStiffness Test Method. The toilet tissue may exhibit a Plate Stiffnessof from about 4 to about 6 N*mm and/or from about 5 to about 6 N*mm asmeasured according to the Plate Stiffness Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a CRT Rate of less than about 1.0 and/or less thanabout 0.7 and/or less than about 0.5 less than about 0.3 g/sec asmeasured according to the CRT Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a Basis Weight of at least about 20 gsm and/or atleast about 25 gsm and/or at least about 30 gsm and/or at least about 35gsm and/or at least about 40 gsm and/or at least about 45 gsm and/or atleast about 50 gsm and/or at least about 55 gsm as measured according tothe Basis Weight Test Method. The toilet tissue may exhibit a BasisWeight of at least about 10 gsm to about 120 gsm and/or at least about20 gsm to about 80 gsm as measured according to the Basis Weight TestMethod. The toilet tissue may exhibit a Basis Weight of at least about10 gsm to about 60 gsm and/or at least 10 gsm to about 55 gsm and/or atleast about 20 gsm to about 55 gsm and/or at least about 25 gsm to about55 gsm as measured according to the Basis Weight Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may be flushable and/or dispersible and/or suitable formunicipal wastewater and sewer systems and/or septic systems.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a Total Wet Decay of greater than 30% and/orgreater than 40% and/or greater than 50% and/or greater than 60% asmeasured according to the Wet Decay Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit an Initial Total Wet Tensile of greater than 30g/in and/or greater than 40 g/in and/or greater than 50 g/in and/orgreater than 60 g/in as measured according to the Wet Tensile TestMethod.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a Total Dry Tensile of greater than 150 g/inand/or greater than about 200 g/in and/or greater than about 250 g/inand/or greater than about 350 g/in greater than about 500 g/in asmeasured according to the Dry Tensile Test Method. The toilet tissue mayexhibit a Total Dry Tensile of from about 150 g/in to about 1000 g/inand/or from about 200 g/in to about 1000 g/in and/or from about 250 g/into about 850 g/in and/or from about 350 g/in to about 850 g/in and/orfrom about 500 g/in to about 850 g/in as measured according to the DryTensile Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit a Flexural Rigidity of less than about 700 mg-cmand/or less than about 500 mg-cm and/or less than about 450 mg-cm and/orless than about 400 mg-cm as measured according to the Flexural RigidityTest Method. The toilet tissue may exhibit a Flexural Rigidity of fromabout 500 mg-cm to about 100 mg-cm and/or from about 450 mg-cm to about200 mg-cm and/or from about 400 mg-cm to about 300 mg-cm as measuredaccording to the Flexural Rigidity Test Method.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may exhibit any combination of the properties describedherein.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may comprise at least one fibrous structure ply comprising astructured fibrous structure ply, including structured fibrous structureplies formed on NTT and/or ATMOS papermaking lines, for example athrough-air-dried fibrous structure ply, such as a crepedthrough-air-dried fibrous structure ply or an uncreped through-air-driedfibrous structure ply.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may comprise at least one fibrous structure ply comprising abelt creped fibrous structure ply.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may comprise at least one fibrous structure ply comprising afabric creped fibrous structure ply.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may comprise at least one fibrous structure ply comprising aconventional wet-pressed fibrous structure ply.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention may comprise at least one fibrous structure ply comprising anembossed fibrous structure ply.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention and/or at least one fibrous structure of the fibrous structure10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention may comprise atleast one fibrous element, for example a fiber, such as a pulp fiber,which may be a wood pulp fiber.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention and/or at least one fibrous structure of the fibrous structure10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention may comprise atleast one fibrous element, for example a filament, such as a filamentcomprising a hydroxyl polymer, which may be a polysaccharide, such as apolysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of: starch, starchderivatives, cellulose derivatives, hemicellulose, hemicellulosederivatives, and mixtures thereof, more specifically starch. In oneexample, the hydroxyl polymer may comprise polyvinyl alcohol.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention and/or one or more fibrous structureplies 12, 14, 16 of the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue,of the present invention may comprise a plurality of fibers 22 and aplurality of filaments 24, such as filaments 24 comprising a hydroxylpolymer, for example a polysaccharide, such as starch. The fibrousstructure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the present invention maycomprise a layered fibrous structure ply (first fibrous structure ply12) comprising a first layer 26, for example a first web material 18,such as a wet-laid fibrous structure, comprising a plurality of fibers22 and a second layer 28 comprising a plurality of filaments 24. Thesecond layer 28 of the layered fibrous structure ply may form at least aportion of an exterior surface 30 and/or the entire exterior surface 30,if a third layer 32, which may be a scrim material, is not present, ofthe fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, comprising thelayered fibrous structure ply.

A third layer 32, for example a scrim material, for example a pluralityof filaments 24, such as filaments 24 comprising polyvinyl alcohol, maybe present and/or deposited onto at least a portion of the second layer28 comprising filaments 24, which are different from the filaments 24 ofthe third layer 32, of the layered fibrous structure ply.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention may comprise two or more and/or threeor more fibrous structure plies 12, 14, 16. The fibrous structure 10,for example toilet tissue, of the present invention may comprise two ormore fibrous structure plies 12, 14 wherein a first fibrous structureply 12, for example a layered fibrous structure ply comprising a firstlayer 26 comprising a plurality of fibers 22, for example pulp fibers,such as wood pulp fibers, which may be in the form of a first webmaterial 18, for example a wet-laid fibrous structure, and a secondlayer 28, which may be in the form of spun filaments, comprising aplurality of filaments 24, for example filaments 24 comprising ahydroxyl polymer, which are deposited onto the first layer 26 accordingto the present invention. The filaments 24 of the second layer 28 mayform at least a portion of an exterior surface 30 and/or the entireexterior surface 30 of the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, comprising the layered fibrous structure ply. In addition, athird layer 32, for example a scrim material, for example filaments 24,such as filaments 24 comprising polyvinyl alcohol, may be present and/ordeposited onto the second layer 28, wherein the third layer 32 forms atleast a portion of the exterior surface 30 of the fibrous structure 10,for example toilet tissue, comprising the layered fibrous structure ply.

The first fibrous structure ply 12 (layered fibrous structure ply) isadhesively bonded, for example by plybond glue 20, to a second fibrousstructure ply 14, which may be a second web material 18. The secondfibrous structure ply 14 of the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, described immediately above may be in the form of a web material18, for example a second web material 18, comprising a plurality offibers 22, for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulp fibers. The secondweb material 18 may be a wet-laid fibrous structure according to thepresent invention. The multi-ply toilet tissues 10 (two-ply (FIG. 3) andthree-ply (FIG. 4)) may comprise void space, for example interply voidspace 34. An interply void space 34 may be formed by a web material 18of a fibrous structure ply 12, 14, 16 bridging a texture, such asdepressions, channels, or protrusions, such as imparted to a surface ofa web material 18 of an adjacent fibrous structure ply 12, 14, 16 by apatterned molding member, for example a patterned resin molding memberand/or a through-air-drying fabric, such as a coarse through-air-dryingfabric, for example as is used in the UCTAD process, and/or an embossingoperation and/or a creping operation, such as a belt creping operationand/or a fabric creping operation and/or creping off a drying cylinder,such as a Yankee. The void spaces 34 of the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, may be seen using different imaging tools, suchas μCT.

Further, the first fibrous structure ply 12 (layered fibrous structureply) may comprise void space, for example intraply void space 36. Anintraply void space 36 may be formed by the second layer 28 of thelayered fibrous structure ply bridging a texture, such as depressions,channels, or protrusions, such as imparted to a surface of the first webmaterial 18 of the first layer 26 by a patterned molding member, forexample a patterned resin molding member and/or a through-air-dryingfabric, such as a coarse through-air-drying fabric, for example as isused in the UCTAD process, and/or an embossing operation and/or acreping operation, such as a belt creping operation and/or a fabriccreping operation and/or creping off a drying cylinder, such as aYankee. The void spaces 34 of the fibrous structure 10, for exampletoilet tissue, may be seen using different imaging tools, such as μCT.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue,of the present invention may comprise three or more fibrous structureplies 12, 14, 16 wherein a first fibrous structure ply 12, for example alayered fibrous structure ply comprising a first layer 26 comprising aplurality of fibers 22, for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulpfibers, which may be in the form of a first web material 18, for examplea wet-laid fibrous structure, and a second layer 28, which may be in theform of spun filaments, comprising a plurality of filaments 24, forexample filaments 24 comprising a hydroxyl polymer, which are depositedonto the first layer 26 according to the present invention, such thatthe first layer 26 (first web material 18) is adhesively bonded, forexample by plybond glue 20, to a second fibrous structure ply 14, whichis then ultimately adhesively bonded, for example by plybond glue 20, toa third fibrous structure ply 16, which may comprise a third webmaterial 18, for example a wet-laid fibrous structure, to make thethree-ply toilet tissue 10. The bond area between the first fibrousstructure ply 12 and the second fibrous structure ply 14 may be greaterthan the bond area between the second fibrous structure ply 14 and thethird fibrous structure ply 16. Similar to the interply void space 34present between the first fibrous structure ply 12 and the secondfibrous structure ply 14, interply void space 34 (the same, less, ormore) may also exist between the second fibrous structure ply 14 and thethird fibrous structure ply 16.

The second fibrous structure ply 14 of the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, described immediately above may be in the form ofa web material 18, for example a second web material 18, comprising aplurality of fibers 22, for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulpfibers. The second web material 18 may be a wet-laid fibrous structureaccording to the present invention.

The third fibrous structure ply 16 of the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, described immediately above may be in the form ofa web material 18, for example a third web material 18, comprising aplurality of fibers 22, for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulpfibers. The third web material 18 may be a wet-laid fibrous structureaccording to the present invention.

The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, comprises a leastone exterior surface 30, for example a consumer-contacting surface, thatcomes into contact with a consumer during use, such as during wiping.The exterior surface 30 of the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, may comprise and/or be defined by at least a portion of thefirst fibrous structure ply 12 (layered fibrous structure ply).

The toilet tissue may be a wet fibrous structure, for example a toilettissue comprising a liquid composition.

In addition, the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of thepresent invention and/or fibrous structure plies of the toilet tissuemay be non-lotioned and/or may not contain a post-applied surfacechemistry. The fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of thepresent invention and/or fibrous structure plies of the toilet tissuemay be creped or uncreped. The fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention and/or fibrous structure plies of thetoilet tissue may be uncreped fibrous structure plies. An exteriorsurface of the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of thepresent invention and/or fibrous structure plies of the toilet tissuemay not be creped (uncreped and/or non-undulating and/or not creped offa surface, such as a Yankee), however the any of the web materialsmaking up the fibrous structure plies may be creped (undulating and/orcreped off a surface, such as a Yankee).

Fibrous Elements of Second Layer

The fibrous elements of the second layer of the present invention may beproduced from a polymer melt composition, for example a hydroxyl polymermelt composition such as an aqueous hydroxyl polymer melt composition,comprising a hydroxyl polymer, such as an uncrosslinked starch forexample a dent corn starch, an acid-thinned starch, a waxy starch,and/or a starch derivative such as an ethoxylated starch, a crosslinkingsystem comprising a crosslinking agent, such as an imidazolidinone, andwater. The hydroxyl polymer may exhibit a weight average molecularweight in the range of 50,000 g/mol to 40,000,000 g/mol as measuredaccording to the Weight Average Molecular Weight Test Method describedherein. In one example, the crosslinking agent comprises less than 2%and/or less than 1.8% and/or less than 1.5% and/or less than 1.25%and/or 0% and/or about 0.25% and/or about 0.50% by weight of a base, forexample triethanolamine. It has unexpectedly been found that thereducing the level of base in the crosslinking agent used in the polymermelt composition results in more effective crosslinking. In one example,the fibrous elements of the present invention comprise greater than 25%and/or greater than 40% and/or greater than 50% and/or greater than 60%and/or greater than 70% to about 95% and/or to about 90% and/or to about80% by weight of the fibrous element of a hydroxyl polymer, such asstarch, which may be in a crosslinked state. In one example, the fibrouselement comprises an ethoxylated starch and an acid thinned starch,which may be in their crosslinked states.

The fibrous elements of the second layer and optionally, the thirdlayer, may exhibit an average diameter of less than 50 μm and/or lessthan 25 μm and/or less than 20 μm and/or less than 15 μm and/or lessthan 10 μm and/or greater than 1 μm and/or greater than 3 μm and/or fromabout 3-10 μm and/or from about 3-8 μm and/or from about 5-7 μm asmeasured according to the Average Diameter Test Method described herein.When present, the fibrous elements of the third layer exhibit smalleraverage diameters, for example from about 1 to about 3 μm, than thefibrous elements of the second layer.

The fibrous elements may also comprise a crosslinking agent, such as animidazolidinone, such as dihydroxyethyleneurea (DHEU), which may be inits crosslinked state (crosslinking the hydroxyl polymers present in thefibrous elements) at a level of from about 0.25% and/or from about 0.5%and/or from about 1% and/or from about 2% and/or from about 3% and/or toabout 10% and/or to about 7% and/or to about 5.5% and/or to about 4.5%by weight of the fibrous element. In addition to the crosslinking agent,the fibrous element may comprise a crosslinking facilitator that aidsthe crosslinking agent at a level of from 0% and/or from about 0.3%and/or from about 0.5% and/or to about 2% and/or to about 1.7% and/or toabout 1.5% by weight of the fibrous element.

The fibrous elements of the second layer, for example hydroxyl polymerfilaments, may comprise a crosslinked hydroxyl polymer, such as acrosslinked starch and/or starch derivative.

The fibrous elements of the second layer may also comprise a surfactant,such as a sulfosuccinate surfactant. A non-limiting example of asuitable sulfosuccinate surfactant comprises Aerosol® AOT (a sodiumdioctyl sulfosuccinate) and/or Aerosol® MA-80 (a sodium dihexylsulfosuccinate), which are commercially available from Cytec. Thesurfactant, such as a sulfosuccinate surfactant, may be present at alevel of from 0% and/or from about 0.1% and/or from about 0.3% to about2% and/or to about 1.5% and/or to about 1.1% and/or to about 0.7% byweight of the fibrous element.

The fibrous elements of the second layer may also comprise a weak acid,such as malic acid. The malic acid may be present at a level from 0% to1% and/or from by weight of the fibrous element.

In addition to the crosslinking agent, the fibrous elements may comprisea crosslinking facilitator such as ammonium salts of methanesulfonicacid, ethanesulfonic acid, propanesulfonic acid, isopropylsulfonic acid,butanesulfonic acid, isobutylsulfonic acid, sec-butylsulfonic acids,benzenesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, xylenesulfonic acid,cumenesulfonic acid, alkylbenzenesulfonic, alkylnaphthalenedisulfonicacids.

The fibrous elements may also comprise a polymer selected from the groupconsisting of: polyacrylamide and its derivatives; acrylamide-basedcopolymers, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, and their esters;polyethyleneimine; copolymers made from mixtures of monomers of theaforementioned polymers; and mixtures thereof at a level of from 0%and/or from about 0.01% and/or from about 0.05% and/or to about 0.5%and/or to about 0.3% and/or to about 0.2% by weight of the fibrouselement. Such polymers may exhibit a weight average molecular weight ofgreater than 500,000 g/mol. In one example, the fibrous elementcomprises polyacrylamide.

The fibrous elements may also comprise various other ingredients such aspropylene glycol, sorbitol, glycerin, and mixtures thereof.

One or more hueing agents, such as Violet CT may also be present in thepolymer melt composition and/or fibrous elements formed therefrom.

In one example, the fibrous elements, of the present invention comprisea fibrous element-forming polymer, such as a hydroxyl polymer, forexample a crosslinked hydroxyl polymer. In one example, the fibrouselements may comprise two or more fibrous element-forming polymers, suchas two or more hydroxyl polymers. In another example, the fibrouselement may comprise two or more fibrous element-forming polymers, suchas two or more hydroxyl polymers, at least one of which is starch and/ora starch derivative. In still another example, the fibrous elements ofthe present invention may comprise two or more fibrous element-formingpolymers at least one of which is a hydroxyl polymer and at least one ofwhich is a non-hydroxyl polymer.

In yet another example, the fibrous elements of the present inventionmay comprise two or more non-hydroxyl polymers. In one example, at leastone of the non-hydroxyl polymers exhibits a weight average molecularweight of greater than 1,400,000 g/mol and/or is present in the fibrouselements at a concentration greater than its entanglement concentration(Ce) and/or exhibits a polydispersity of greater than 1.32. In stillanother example, at least one of the non-hydroxyl polymers comprises anacrylamide-based copolymer.

In one example, the fibrous element comprises a filament. In anotherexample, the fibrous element comprises a fiber, such as a filament thathas been cut into fibers.

The fibrous elements of the second layer may be produced from a polymermelt composition. The polymer melt composition, for example an aqueouspolymer melt composition such as an aqueous hydroxyl polymer meltcomposition, of the present invention comprises a melt processed fibrouselement-forming polymer, such as a melt processed hydroxyl polymer, anda fast wetting surfactant according to the present invention.

The polymer melt compositions may have a temperature of from about 50°C. to about 100° C. and/or from about 65° C. to about 95° C. and/or fromabout 70° C. to about 90° C. when spinning fibrous elements from thepolymer melt compositions.

In one example, the polymer melt composition of the present inventionmay comprise from about 30% and/or from about 40% and/or from about 45%and/or from about 50% to about 75% and/or to about 80% and/or to about85% and/or to about 90% and/or to about 95% and/or to about 99.5% byweight of the polymer melt composition of a fibrous element-formingpolymer, such as a hydroxyl polymer. The fibrous element-formingpolymer, such as a hydroxyl polymer, may have a weight average molecularweight greater than 100,000 g/mol

In one example, the fibrous elements of the present invention producedvia a polymer processing operation may be cured at a curing temperatureof from about 110° C. to about 260° C. and/or from about 110° C. toabout 230° C. and/or from about 120° C. to about 200° C. and/or fromabout 130° C. to about 185° C. for a time period of from about 0.01and/or 1 and/or 5 and/or 15 seconds to about 60 minutes and/or fromabout 20 seconds to about 45 minutes and/or from about 30 seconds toabout 30 minutes. Alternative curing methods may include radiationmethods such as UV, e-beam, IR and other temperature-raising methods.

Further, the fibrous elements may also be cured at room temperature fordays, either after curing at above room temperature or instead of curingat above room temperature.

The fibrous elements of the second layer may include melt spun fibersand/or spunbond fibers, staple fibers, hollow fibers, shaped fibers,such as multi-lobal fibers and multicomponent fibers, especiallybicomponent fibers. The multicomponent fibers, especially bicomponentfibers, may be in a side-by-side, sheath-core, segmented pie, ribbon,islands-in-the-sea configuration, or any combination thereof. The sheathmay be continuous or non-continuous around the core. The ratio of theweight of the sheath to the core can be from about 5:95 to about 95:5.The fibers of the present invention may have different geometries thatinclude round, elliptical, star shaped, rectangular, and other variouseccentricities.

Web Material

The web material, for example the first web material and/or second webmaterial and/or third web material, may comprise a plurality of fibrouselements, for example a plurality of fibers, such as greater than 80%and/or greater than 90% and/or greater than 95% and/or greater than 98%and/or greater than 99% and/or 100% by weight of the web material offibers.

The web material may comprise a plurality of naturally-occurring fibers,for example pulp fibers, such as wood pulp fibers (hardwood and/orsoftwood pulp fibers). In another example, the web material comprises aplurality of non-naturally occurring fibers (synthetic fibers), forexample staple fibers, such as rayon, lyocell, polyester fibers,polycaprolactone fibers, polylactic acid fibers, polyhydroxyalkanoatefibers, and mixtures thereof. In another example, the web materialcomprises a mixture of naturally-occurring fibers, for example pulpfibers, such as wood pulp fibers (hardwood and/or softwood pulp fibers)and a plurality of non-naturally occurring fibers (synthetic fibers),for example staple fibers, such as rayon, lyocell, polyester fibers,polycaprolactone fibers, polylactic acid fibers, polyhydroxyalkanoatefibers, and mixtures thereof.

The web material may comprise a wet laid fibrous structure ply, such asa through-air-dried fibrous structure ply, for example an uncreped,through-air-dried fibrous structure ply and/or a creped,through-air-dried fibrous structure ply.

The web material, for example a wet laid fibrous structure ply mayexhibit substantially uniform density.

The web material, for example a wet laid fibrous structure ply mayexhibit differential density.

The web material, for example a wet laid fibrous structure ply maycomprise a surface pattern.

The web material, for example a wet laid fibrous structure ply maycomprise a conventional wet-pressed fibrous structure ply. The wet laidfibrous structure ply may comprise a fabric-creped fibrous structureply. The wet laid fibrous structure ply may comprise a belt-crepedfibrous structure ply.

The web material may comprise an air laid fibrous structure ply.

The web materials of the present invention may comprise a surfacesoftening agent or be void of a surface softening agent, such assilicones, quaternary ammonium compounds, lotions, and mixtures thereof.The toilet tissue and/or web material of the toilet tissue may comprisea non-lotioned web material, for example the first web material.

The web materials of the present invention may comprise trichome fibersor may be void of trichome fibers.

Patterned Molding Members

The web materials of the present invention may be formed on patternedmolding members, for example coarse through-air-drying fabrics, such asUCTAD fabrics, patterned resin-containing molding members, patternedrollers, patterned belt-creping molding members, patternedfabric-creping molding members, other patterned papermaking clothing,that result in the web materials, for example structured web materials,such as structure fibrous structures of the present invention. Thepattern molding member may comprise a non-random repeating pattern. Thepattern molding member may comprise a resinous pattern.

The web material may comprise a textured surface. The web material maycomprise a surface comprising a three-dimensional (3D) pattern, forexample a 3D pattern imparted to the web material by a patterned moldingmember. Non-limiting examples of suitable patterned molding membersinclude patterned felts, patterned forming wires, patterned rolls,patterned fabrics, and patterned belts utilized in conventionalwet-pressed papermaking processes, air-laid papermaking processes,and/or wet-laid papermaking processes that produce 3D patterned toilettissue and/or 3D patterned fibrous structure plies employed in toilettissue. Other non-limiting examples of such patterned molding membersinclude through-air-drying fabrics and through-air-drying belts utilizedin through-air-drying papermaking processes that producethrough-air-dried fibrous structures, for example 3D patternedthrough-air dried fibrous structures, and/or through-air-dried toilettissue comprising the web material, for example the first web material.

The web material 12 may comprise a 3D patterned web material having asurface comprising a 3D pattern.

The web material may be made by any suitable method, such as wet-laid,air laid, coform, hydroentangling, carding, meltblowing, spunbonding,and mixtures thereof. In one example the method for making the webmaterial of the present invention comprises the step of depositing aplurality of fibers onto a collection device, such as a 3D patternedmolding member such that a web material is formed.

A “reinforcing element” may be a desirable (but not necessary) elementin some examples of the molding member, serving primarily to provide orfacilitate integrity, stability, and durability of the molding membercomprising, for example, a resinous material. The reinforcing elementcan be fluid-permeable or partially fluid-permeable, may have a varietyof embodiments and weave patterns, and may comprise a variety ofmaterials, such as, for example, a plurality of interwoven yarns(including Jacquard-type and the like woven patterns), a felt, aplastic, other suitable synthetic material, or any combination thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a non-limiting example of a patterned moldingmember 48, in this case a through-air-drying belt, suitable for use inthe present invention comprises a continuous network knuckle 52 formedby a resin 54 arranged in a non-random, repeating pattern supported on asupport fabric 56 comprising filaments 58. The continuous networkknuckle 52 of resin 54 comprises deflection conduits 60 into whichportions of a web material being made on the patterned molding member 48deflect thus imparting the pattern of the patterned molding member 48 tothe web material resulting in a structured web material and/or structurefibrous structure for use in the fibrous structure 10, for exampletoilet tissue, of the present invention. The deflected portions of theweb material result in pillows, for example lower density regionscompared to other parts of the web material, within the structured webmaterial and/or structured fibrous structure and/or structured fibrousstructure ply. The continuous network knuckle 52, in this case, andother forms and/or shapes, discrete and/or continuous knuckles impartknuckles, for example higher density regions compared to other parts ofthe web material, such as pillows.

As shown in FIG. 7, the resin 54 may be present on the support fabric 56at a height DI of greater than 5.0 mils and/or greater than 7.0 milsand/or greater than 8.0 mils and/or greater than 10.0 mils and/orgreater than 12.0 mils and/or greater than 13.0 mils and/or greater than15.0 mils and/or greater than 17.0 mils and/or greater than 20.0 mils inorder to define deflection conduits 60 that impart one or more pillowswithin a structured web material that exhibit similar heights, whichwhen incorporated into the fibrous structure 10, for example toilettissue, of the present invention results in the toilet tissue exhibitingthe thick, absorbent, and/or flexible properties of the presentinvention.

Non-limiting Examples of Making Web Material

The web materials of the present invention may be made by any suitablepapermaking process, such as conventional wet press papermaking process,through-air-dried papermaking process, belt-creped papermaking process,fabric-creped papermaking process, creped papermaking process, uncrepedpapermaking process, coform process, and air-laid process, so long asthe web material comprises a plurality of fibers. In one example, theweb material is made on a molding member of the present invention isused to make the web material of the present invention.

The method may be a web material making process that uses a cylindricaldryer such as a Yankee (a Yankee-process) or it may be a Yankeelessprocess as is used to make substantially uniform density and/or uncrepedweb materials (fibrous structures). Alternatively, the web materials maybe made by an air-laid process and/or meltblown and/or spunbondprocesses and any combinations thereof so long as the web materials ofthe present invention are made thereby.

As shown in FIG. 8, one example of a process and equipment, representedas 62 for making a web material, for example a structure web materialand/or structure fibrous structure ply according to the presentinvention comprises supplying an aqueous dispersion of fibers (a fibrousfurnish or fiber slurry) to a headbox 64 which can be of any convenientdesign. From headbox 64 the aqueous dispersion of fibers is delivered toa first foraminous member 66 which is typically a Fourdrinier wire, toproduce an embryonic fibrous structure 68.

The first foraminous member 66 may be supported by a breast roll 70 anda plurality of return rolls 72 of which only two are shown. The firstforaminous member 66 can be propelled in the direction indicated bydirectional arrow 74 by a drive means, not shown. Optional auxiliaryunits and/or devices commonly associated fibrous structure makingmachines and with the first foraminous member 66, but not shown, includeforming boards, hydrofoils, vacuum boxes, tension rolls, support rolls,wire cleaning showers, and the like.

After the aqueous dispersion of fibers is deposited onto the firstforaminous member 66, embryonic fibrous structure (embryonic webmaterial) 68 is formed, typically by the removal of a portion of theaqueous dispersing medium by techniques well known to those skilled inthe art. Vacuum boxes, forming boards, hydrofoils, and the like areuseful in effecting water removal. The embryonic fibrous structure 68may travel with the first foraminous member 66 about return roll 72 andis brought into contact with a patterned molding member 48, such as a 3Dpatterned through-air-drying belt as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. While incontact with the patterned molding member 48, the embryonic fibrousstructure 68 will be deflected, rearranged, and/or further dewatered.

The patterned molding member 48 may be in the form of an endless belt.In this simplified representation, the patterned molding member 48passes around and about patterned molding member return rolls 76 andimpression nip roll 78 and may travel in the direction indicated bydirectional arrow 80. Associated with patterned molding member 48, butnot shown, may be various support rolls, other return rolls, cleaningmeans, drive means, and the like well-known to those skilled in the artthat may be commonly used in fibrous structure making machines.

After the embryonic fibrous structure 68 has been associated with thepatterned molding member 48, fibers within the embryonic fibrousstructure 68 are deflected into pillows and/or pillow network(deflection conduits 60 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) present in the patternedmolding member 48. In one example of this process step, there isessentially no water removal from the embryonic fibrous structure 68through the deflection conduits 60 after the embryonic fibrous structure68 has been associated with the patterned molding member 48 but prior tothe deflecting of the fibers (portions of the web material) into thedeflection conduits 60. Further water removal from the embryonic fibrousstructure 68 can occur during and/or after the time the fibers are beingdeflected into the deflection conduits 60. Water removal from theembryonic fibrous structure 68 may continue until the consistency of theembryonic fibrous structure 68 associated with patterned molding member48 is increased to from about 25% to about 35%. Once this consistency ofthe embryonic fibrous structure 68 is achieved, then the embryonicfibrous structure 68 can be referred to as an intermediate fibrousstructure (intermediate web material) 82. During the process of formingthe embryonic fibrous structure 68, sufficient water may be removed,such as by a noncompressive process, from the embryonic fibrousstructure 68 before it becomes associated with the patterned moldingmember 48 so that the consistency of the embryonic fibrous structure 68may be from about 10% to about 30%.

While applicants decline to be bound by any particular theory ofoperation, it appears that the deflection of the fibers in the embryonicfibrous structure and water removal from the embryonic fibrous structurebegin essentially simultaneously. Embodiments can, however, beenvisioned wherein deflection and water removal are sequentialoperations. Under the influence of the applied differential fluidpressure, for example, the fibers may be deflected into the deflectionconduit with an attendant rearrangement of the fibers. Water removal mayoccur with a continued rearrangement of fibers. Deflection of thefibers, and of the embryonic fibrous structure, may cause an apparentincrease in surface area of the embryonic fibrous structure. Further,the rearrangement of fibers may appear to cause a rearrangement in thespaces or capillaries existing between and/or among fibers.

It is believed that the rearrangement of the fibers can take one of twomodes dependent on a number of factors such as, for example, fiberlength. The free ends of longer fibers can be merely bent in the spacedefined by the deflection conduit while the opposite ends are restrainedin the region of the ridges. Shorter fibers, on the other hand, canactually be transported from the region of the ridges into thedeflection conduit (The fibers in the deflection conduits will also berearranged relative to one another). Naturally, it is possible for bothmodes of rearrangement to occur simultaneously.

As noted, water removal occurs both during and after deflection; thiswater removal may result in a decrease in fiber mobility in theembryonic fibrous structure. This decrease in fiber mobility may tend tofix and/or freeze the fibers in place after they have been deflected andrearranged. Of course, the drying of the fibrous structure in a laterstep in the process of this invention serves to more firmly fix and/orfreeze the fibers in position.

Any convenient means conventionally known in the papermaking art can beused to dry the intermediate fibrous structure 82. Examples of suchsuitable drying process include subjecting the intermediate fibrousstructure 82 to conventional and/or flow-through dryers and/or Yankeedryers.

In one example of a drying process, the intermediate fibrous structure82 in association with the patterned molding member 48 passes around thepatterned molding member return roll 76 and travels in the directionindicated by directional arrow 80. The intermediate fibrous structure 82may first pass through an optional predryer 84. This predryer 84 can bea conventional flow-through dryer (hot air dryer) well known to thoseskilled in the art. Optionally, the predryer 84 can be a so-calledcapillary dewatering apparatus. In such an apparatus, the intermediatefibrous structure 82 passes over a sector of a cylinder havingpreferential-capillary-size pores through its cylindrical-shaped porouscover. Optionally, the predryer 84 can be a combination capillarydewatering apparatus and flow-through dryer. The quantity of waterremoved in the predryer 84 may be controlled so that a predried fibrousstructure 86 exiting the predryer 84 has a consistency of from about 30%to about 98%. The predried fibrous structure 86, which may still beassociated with patterned molding member 48, may pass around anotherpatterned molding member return roll 76 as it travels to an impressionnip roll 78. As the predried fibrous structure 86 passes through the nipformed between impression nip roll 78 and a surface of a Yankee dryer88, the pattern formed by the top surface 90 of the patterned moldingmember 48 is impressed into the predried fibrous structure 86 to form astructured fibrous structure (structured web material), for example a 3Dpatterned fibrous structure (3D patterned web material) 92. Thestructured fibrous structure 92 can then be adhered to the surface ofthe Yankee dryer 88 where it can be dried to a consistency of at leastabout 95%.

The structured fibrous structure 92 can then be foreshortened by crepingthe structured fibrous structure 92 with a creping blade 94 to removethe structured fibrous structure 92 from the surface of the Yankee dryer88 resulting in the production of a structured creped fibrous structure(structured creped web material) 96 in accordance with the presentinvention. As used herein, foreshortening refers to the reduction inlength of a dry (having a consistency of at least about 90% and/or atleast about 95%) fibrous structure which occurs when energy is appliedto the dry fibrous structure in such a way that the length of thefibrous structure is reduced and the fibers in the fibrous structure arerearranged with an accompanying disruption of fiber-fiber bonds.Foreshortening can be accomplished in any of several well-known ways.One common method of foreshortening is creping. The structured crepedfibrous structure 96 may be used as is as a structure fibrous structureply in the fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of thepresent invention or it may be subjected to post processing steps suchas calendaring, tuft generating operations, and/or embossing and/orconverting to form a structured fibrous structure ply and then used inthe fibrous structure 10, for example toilet tissue, of the presentinvention.

Non-Limiting Examples of Fibrous Structures

The materials used in the Examples below are as follows:

Amioca starch is a waxy corn starch with a weight average molecularweight greater than 30,000,000 g/mol supplied by Ingredion.

Hyperfloc NF301, a nonionic polyacrylamide (PAAM) has a weight averagemolecular weight between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 g/mol, is supplied byHychem, Inc., Tampa, Fla.

Aerosol OT-70 is an anionic sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate surfactantsupplied by Cytec Industries, Inc., Woodland Park, N.J.

Malic acid and ammonium methanesufonate are supplied as 10 wt % and 35wt % solutions respectively from Calvary Industries, Fairfield, Ohio

Example 1—Layered Fibrous Structure (w/o Third Layer) (First FibrousStructure Ply)

A layered fibrous structure is prepared as follows. In a 40:1 APV Bakertwin-screw extruder with eight temperature zones, Amioca starch is mixedwith ammonium methanesulfonate, Aerosol OT-70 surfactant, malic acid andwater in zone 1. This mixture is then conveyed down the barrel throughzones 2 through 8 and cooked into a melt-processed hydroxyl polymercomposition. The composition in the extruder is 35% water where themake-up of solids is 99% Amioca, 0.5% Aerosol OT-70, 0.7% ammoniummethansulfonate, 0.1% malic acid. The extruder barrel temperaturesetpoints for each zone are shown below.

Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Temperature 60 60 60 120 320 320 320 320 (° F.)

The temperature of the melt exiting the 40:1 extruder is between 320 and330° F. From the extruder, the melt is fed to a Mahr gear pump, and thendelivered to a second extruder. The second extruder is a 13:1 APV Bakertwin screw, which serves to cool the melt by venting a stream toatmospheric pressure. The second extruder also serves as a location foradditives to the hydroxyl polymer melt. Particularly, a stream of 2.2 wt% Hyperfloc NF301 polyacrylamide is introduced at a level of 0.1% on asolids basis. The material that is not vented is conveyed down theextruder to a second Mahr melt pump. From here, the hydroxyl polymermelt is delivered to a series of static mixers where a cross-linker andwater are added. The melt composition at this point in the process is55-60% total solids. On a solids basis the melt is comprised of 92.4%Amioca starch, 5.5% cross-linker, 1.0% ammonium methanesulfonate, 1.0%surfactant, 0.1% Hyperfloc NF301, and 0.1% malic acid. From the staticmixers the composition is delivered to a melt blowing spinneret via amelt pump.

A plurality of starch filaments is attenuated with a saturated airstream to form a layer of filaments that are collected on top of oneanother to form a starch filament layer, which may be a starch webmaterial or starch nonwoven substrate. The starch filament layerexhibits a basis weight of 4.8 g/m² and is formed on top of an 18.1 g/m²wet-laid pulp fibrous structure or wet-laid pulp web material producedas described in Example 7 below. The starch filament/wet-laid pulp webmaterial layered fibrous structure is then subjected to a thermalbonding process wherein thermal bond sites are formed between the starchfilament layer and the wet-laid pulp web material. The thermal bond rollhas a diamond shaped pattern with a 2%-30% bond area, (in this case a13% bond area), and results in a 0.075 in. edge-to-edge bond distance Ebetween edges (the closest, adjacent edge points of the two bond sites)of two bond sites 25 in the layered fibrous structure ply 12 as shown inFIG. 14A. After thermal bonding, the starch filament/wet-laid pulp webmaterial layered fibrous structure is then cured at a curing temperatureof from about 110° C. to about 260° C. for a time period of from about0.01 and/or 1 and/or 5 and/or 15 seconds to about 60 minutes and/or fromabout 20 seconds to about 45 minutes and/or from about 30 seconds toabout 30 minutes. The finished layered fibrous structure is then woundabout a core to produce a parent roll.

Example 2—Layered Fibrous Structure (w/ Third Layer) (First FibrousStructure Ply)

A layered fibrous structure is prepared according to Example 1 except athird layer (a scrim layer) of polyvinyl alcohol filaments are formedonto the top of the starch filament/wet-laid pulp layered fibrousstructure.

The polyvinyl alcohol filaments are prepared by the following procedure.Mowiol 10-98 polyvinyl alcohol (98% hydrolysis Kuraray) having a weightaverage molecular weight of 50,000 g/mol and water are added into ascraped, wall pressure vessel equipped with an overhead agitator inorder to target a 35 wt % polyvinyl alcohol melt. The 35 wt % solutionis cooked under pressure at 240° F. for 4 hours until the resulting meltis homogenous and transparent. The Mowiol 10-98 polyvinyl alcohol meltis pumped via gear pump to a static mixer where a cross-linker andcross-linker activator are added. From the static mixer the melt isdelivered to a melt blowing spinneret.

A plurality of polyvinyl alcohol filaments is attenuated with asaturated air stream to form a layer of polyvinyl alcohol filaments of0.15 g/m² that are collected on top of a starch filament/wet-laid pulpweb material layered fibrous structure made according to Example 1. Theresulting layered fibrous structure from top to bottom is 0.15 g/m²polyvinyl alcohol filaments/8 g/m² starch filaments/21 g/m² wet-laidpulp web material. The resulting layered fibrous structure is thensubjected to a thermal bonding process wherein thermal bond sites areformed between the polyvinyl alcohol filament layer, the starch filamentlayer, and the wet-laid pulp web material. The thermal bond roll has adiamond shaped pattern with a 2%-30% bond area, (in this case a 13% bondarea), and results in a 0.075 in. edge-to-edge bond distance E betweenedges (the closest, adjacent edge points of the two bond sites) of twobond sites 25 in the layered fibrous structure ply 12 as shown in FIG.14A. The finished layered fibrous structure is then wound about a coreto produce a parent roll.

Example 3—Layered Fibrous Structure (w/ Third Layer) (First FibrousStructure Ply)

A polyvinyl alcohol filament/starch filament/wet-laid pulp web materiallayered fibrous structure is prepared according to Example 2 except ahigher basis weight of polyvinyl alcohol filaments is present in thepolyvinyl alcohol filament layer.

A plurality of polyvinyl alcohol filaments is attenuated with asaturated air stream to form a layer of polyvinyl alcohol filaments of0.70 g/m² that are collected on top of a starch filament/wet-laid pulpweb material layered fibrous structure. The resulting layered substratefrom top to bottom is 0.70 g/m² polyvinyl alcohol filaments/8 g/m²starch filaments/21 g/m² wet-laid pulp web material layered fibrousstructure. The resulting layered fibrous structure is then subjected toa thermal bonding process wherein thermal bond sites are formed betweenthe polyvinyl alcohol filament layer, the starch filament layer, and thewet-laid pulp web material. The thermal bond roll has a circle shapedpattern with a 2%-30% bond area, (in this case a 10.3% bond area), andresults in a 0.094 in. edge-to-edge bond distance E between edges (theclosest, adjacent edge points of the two bond sites) of two bond sites25 in the layered fibrous structure ply 12 as shown in FIG. 14B. Thefinished layered fibrous structure is then wound about a core to producea parent roll.

Example 4—Layered Fibrous Structure (w/ Third Layer) (First FibrousStructure Ply)

A polyvinyl alcohol filament/starch filament/wet-laid pulp web materiallayered fibrous structure is prepared according to Example 2 except ahigher basis weight of polyvinyl alcohol filaments is present in thepolyvinyl alcohol filament layer and the polyvinyl alcohol exhibits alower weight average molecular weight.

The polyvinyl alcohol filaments are prepared by the following procedure.Poval 4-98 polyvinyl alcohol (98% hydrolysis from Kuraray) having aweight average molecular weight of 25,000 g/mol and water are added intoa scraped, wall pressure vessel equipped with an overhead agitator inorder to target a 50 wt % polyvinyl alcohol melt. The 50 wt % solutionis cooked under pressure at 240° F. for 4 hours until the resulting meltis homogenous and transparent. The Poval 4-98 polyvinyl alcohol melt ispumped via gear pump to a static mixer where a cross-linker andcross-linker activator are added. From the static mixer the melt isdelivered to a melt blowing spinneret.

A plurality of polyvinyl alcohol filaments is attenuated with asaturated air stream to form a layer of polyvinyl alcohol filaments of1.0 g/m² that are collected on top of a starch filament/wet-laid pulpweb material layered fibrous structure. The resulting layered fibrousstructure from top to bottom is 1.0 g/m² polyvinyl alcohol filaments/8g/m² starch filaments/21 g/m² wet-laid pulp web material layered fibrousstructure. The resulting layered fibrous structure is then subjected toa thermal bonding process wherein thermal bond sites are formed betweenthe polyvinyl alcohol filament layer, the starch filament layer, and thewet-laid pulp web material. The thermal bond roll has a circle shapedpattern with a 2%-30% bond area, (in this case a 10.3% bond area), andresults in a 0.094 in. edge-to-edge bond distance E between edges (theclosest, adjacent edge points of the two bond sites) of two bond sites25 in the layered fibrous structure ply 12 as shown in FIG. 14B. Thefinished layered fibrous structure is then wound about a core to producea parent roll.

Example 5—Layered Fibrous Structure (w/ Third Layer) (First FibrousStructure Ply)

A layered fibrous structure according to the present invention isprepared as follows. A polyvinyl alcohol filament/starchfilament/wet-laid pulp web material layered fibrous structure isprepared similar to Example 2 except for basis weights and the starchfilaments and polyvinyl alcohol filaments are melt blown onto a wet-laidpulp web material having a flat, smooth, soft, non-textured surface,which is ultimately converted into a 3-ply product. The resultinglayered fibrous structure from top to bottom is 0.15 g/m² polyvinylalcohol filaments/4 g/m² starch filaments/13 g/m² wet-laid pulp webmaterial layered fibrous structure. This layered fibrous structure isthen subjected to a thermal bonding process wherein thermal bond sitesare formed between the polyvinyl alcohol filament layer, the starchfilament layer, and the wet-laid pulp web material. The thermal bondroll has a diamond shaped pattern with a 2%-30% bond area, (in this casea 10% bond area), and results in a 0.056 in. edge-to-edge bond distanceE between edges (the closest, adjacent edge points of the two bondsites) of two bond sites 25 in the layered fibrous structure ply 12 (notshown). The finished layered fibrous structure is then wound about acore to produce a parent roll.

Example 6—Web Material (Second Fibrous Structure Ply)

The following Example illustrates a non-limiting example for apreparation of a web material for use in the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention, for example as thesecond fibrous structure ply of the toilet tissue, on a pilot-scaleFourdrinier fibrous structure making (papermaking) machine.

An aqueous slurry of eucalyptus (Fibria Brazilian bleached hardwoodkraft pulp) pulp fibers is prepared at about 3% fiber by weight using aconventional repulper, then transferred to the hardwood fiber stockchest. The eucalyptus fiber slurry of the hardwood stock chest is pumpedthrough a stock pipe to a hardwood fan pump where the slurry consistencyis reduced from about 3% by fiber weight to about 0.15% by fiber weight.The 0.15% eucalyptus slurry is then pumped and equally distributed inthe top and bottom chambers of a multi-layered, three-chambered headboxof a Fourdrinier wet-laid papermaking machine.

Additionally, an aqueous slurry of NSK (Northern Softwood Kraft) pulpfibers is prepared at about 3% fiber by weight using a conventionalrepulper, then transferred to the softwood fiber stock chest. The NSKfiber slurry of the softwood stock chest is pumped through a stock pipeto be refined to a Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) of about 630. Therefined NSK fiber slurry is then directed to the NSK fan pump where theNSK slurry consistency is reduced from about 3% by fiber weight to about0.15% by fiber weight. The 0.15% eucalyptus slurry is then directed anddistributed to the center chamber of a multi-layered, three-chamberedheadbox of a Fourdrinier wet-laid papermaking machine.

The wet-laid papermaking machine has a layered headbox having a topchamber, a center chamber, and a bottom chamber where the chambers feeddirectly onto the forming wire (Fourdrinier wire). The eucalyptus fiberslurry of 0.15% consistency is directed to the top headbox chamber andbottom headbox chamber. The NSK fiber slurry is directed to the centerheadbox chamber. All three fiber layers are delivered simultaneously insuperposed relation onto the Fourdrinier wire to form thereon athree-layer embryonic fibrous structure (web material), of which about38% of the top side is made up of the eucalyptus fibers, about 38% ismade of the eucalyptus fibers on the bottom side and about 24% is madeup of the NSK fibers in the center. Dewatering occurs through theFourdrinier wire and is assisted by a deflector and wire table vacuumboxes. The Fourdrinier wire is an 84M (84 by 76 5A, AlbanyInternational). The speed of the Fourdrinier wire is about 750 feet perminute (fpm).

The embryonic wet fibrous structure is transferred from the Fourdrinierwire, at a fiber consistency of about 15% at the point of transfer, to apatterned molding member, for example a 3D patterned through-air-dryingbelt similar to that shown in FIG. 9 having a cell count (deflectionconduits−the discrete elements in this case) of 250 per square inch(knuckle area of about 30%) and a resin height of 13.6 mils resulting ina fibrous structure caliper of about 14.0 mils. The speed of thepatterned molding member is the same as the speed of the Fourdrinierwire. The patterned molding member is designed to yield a fibrousstructure (web material) comprising a pattern of high density continuousknuckle region with low density pillow regions dispersed throughout thecontinuous knuckle region.

Further de-watering of the fibrous structure is accomplished by vacuumassisted drainage until the fibrous structure has a fiber consistency ofabout 20% to 30%.

While remaining in contact with the patterned molding member, thefibrous structure is pre-dried by air blow-through pre-dryers to a fiberconsistency of about 53% by weight.

After the pre-dryers, the semi-dry fibrous structure is transferred to aYankee dryer and adhered to the surface of the Yankee dryer with asprayed creping adhesive. The creping adhesive is an aqueous dispersionwith the actives consisting of about 80% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA 88-50),about 20% CREPETROL® 457T20. CREPETROL® 457T20 is commercially availablefrom Hercules Incorporated of Wilmington, Del. The creping adhesive isdelivered to the Yankee surface at a rate of about 0.15% adhesive solidsbased on the dry weight of the fibrous structure. The fiber consistencyis increased to about 97% before the fibrous structure is dry-crepedfrom the Yankee with a doctor blade.

The doctor blade has a bevel angle of about 25° and is positioned withrespect to the Yankee dryer to provide an impact angle of about 81°. TheYankee dryer is operated at a temperature of about 275° F. and a speedof about 800 fpm. The fibrous structure is wound in a roll (parent roll)using a surface driven reel drum having a surface speed of about 757fpm. The basis weight of this fibrous structure (web material) is about15 gsm and has a total dry tensile of about 240 Win.

Example 7—Web Material (Third Fibrous Structure Ply, when Present)

The following Example illustrates a non-limiting example for apreparation of a web material for use in the fibrous structure 10, forexample toilet tissue, of the present invention, for example as thesecond fibrous structure ply of the toilet tissue, on a pilot-scaleFourdrinier fibrous structure making (papermaking) machine.

An aqueous slurry of eucalyptus (Fibria Brazilian bleached hardwoodkraft pulp) pulp fibers is prepared at about 3% fiber by weight using aconventional repulper, then transferred to the hardwood fiber stockchest. The eucalyptus fiber slurry of the hardwood stock chest is pumpedthrough a stock pipe to a hardwood fan pump where the slurry consistencyis reduced from about 3% by fiber weight to about 0.15% by fiber weight.The 0.15% eucalyptus slurry is then pumped and equally distributed inthe top and bottom chambers of a multi-layered, three-chambered headboxof a Fourdrinier wet-laid papermaking machine.

Additionally, an aqueous slurry of NSK (Northern Softwood Kraft) pulpfibers is prepared at about 3% fiber by weight using a conventionalrepulper, then transferred to the softwood fiber stock chest. The NSKfiber slurry of the softwood stock chest is pumped through a stock pipeto be refined to a Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) of about 630. Therefined NSK fiber slurry is then directed to the NSK fan pump where theNSK slurry consistency is reduced from about 3% by fiber weight to about0.15% by fiber weight. The 0.15% eucalyptus slurry is then directed anddistributed to the center chamber of a multi-layered, three-chamberedheadbox of a Fourdrinier wet-laid papermaking machine.

The wet-laid papermaking machine has a layered headbox having a topchamber, a center chamber, and a bottom chamber where the chambers feeddirectly onto the forming wire (Fourdrinier wire). The eucalyptus fiberslurry of 0.15% consistency is directed to the top headbox chamber andbottom headbox chamber. The NSK fiber slurry is directed to the centerheadbox chamber. All three fiber layers are delivered simultaneously insuperposed relation onto the Fourdrinier wire to form thereon athree-layer embryonic fibrous structure (web material), of which about38% of the top side is made up of the eucalyptus fibers, about 38% ismade of the eucalyptus fibers on the bottom side and about 24% is madeup of the NSK fibers in the center. Dewatering occurs through theFourdrinier wire and is assisted by a deflector and wire table vacuumboxes. The Fourdrinier wire is an 84M (84 by 76 5A, AlbanyInternational). The speed of the Fourdrinier wire is about 750 feet perminute (fpm).

The embryonic wet fibrous structure is transferred from the Fourdrinierwire, at a fiber consistency of about 15% at the point of transfer, to apatterned molding member, for example a 3D patterned through-air-dryingbelt similar to that shown in FIG. 9 having a cell count (deflectionconduits−the discrete elements in this case) of 562 per square inch(knuckle area of about 48%) and a resin height of 8.9 mils resulting ina fibrous structure caliper of about 11.0 mils. The speed of thepatterned molding member is the same as the speed of the Fourdrinierwire. The patterned molding member is designed to yield a fibrousstructure (web material) comprising a pattern of high density continuousknuckle region with low density pillow regions dispersed throughout thecontinuous knuckle region.

Further de-watering of the fibrous structure is accomplished by vacuumassisted drainage until the fibrous structure has a fiber consistency ofabout 20% to 30%.

While remaining in contact with the patterned molding member, thefibrous structure is pre-dried by air blow-through pre-dryers to a fiberconsistency of about 53% by weight.

After the pre-dryers, the semi-dry fibrous structure is transferred to aYankee dryer and adhered to the surface of the Yankee dryer with asprayed creping adhesive. The creping adhesive is an aqueous dispersionwith the actives consisting of about 80% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA 88-50),about 20% CREPETROL® 457T20. CREPETROL® 457T20 is commercially availablefrom Hercules Incorporated of Wilmington, Del. The creping adhesive isdelivered to the Yankee surface at a rate of about 0.15% adhesive solidsbased on the dry weight of the fibrous structure. The fiber consistencyis increased to about 97% before the fibrous structure is dry-crepedfrom the Yankee with a doctor blade.

The doctor blade has a bevel angle of about 25° and is positioned withrespect to the Yankee dryer to provide an impact angle of about 81°. TheYankee dryer is operated at a temperature of about 275° F. and a speedof about 800 fpm. The fibrous structure is wound in a roll (parent roll)using a surface driven reel drum having a surface speed of about 757fpm. The basis weight of this fibrous structure (web material) is about18.1 gsm and has a total dry tensile of about 235 g/in.

Example 8—2-Ply Toilet Tissue

A toilet tissue according to the present invention, specifically a 2-plytoilet tissue of the present invention is made as follows. As shown inFIG. 10, the method for making a toilet tissue 98 comprises unwinding afirst fibrous structure ply 12 (in this case any of the layered fibrousstructure plies of Examples 1-5 above) and passing it through a firstweb path A to an embossing nip 100 formed by a pressure roll 102 and asteel emboss roll 104, a patterned steel emboss roll that contains theemboss pattern shown in FIG. 11, which is a mirror image of the pattern,as shown in FIG. 12, that is imparted to the fibrous structure ply 12and ultimately to the fibrous structure 12, for example toilet tissue,as shown in FIG. 13. After passing through the embossing nip 100, theembossed first fibrous structure ply 12 has adhesive/glue applied to itvia a gravure roll/applicator roll system 106, wherein the applicatorroll has a first pattern that results in a first plybond area in theresulting toilet tissue.

A second fibrous structure ply 14 (in this case the web material ofExample 6 above) is unwound and passed through a second web path B andthen is combined with the embossed first fibrous structure ply 12 at amarrying nip 108 formed by the steel emboss roll 104 and a marrying roll110, which plybonds the embossed first fibrous structure ply 12 to thesecond fibrous structure ply 14 via the first plybond area to form a2-ply toilet tissue which is then converted into 2-ply toilet tissuefinished product rolls. The resulting 2-ply toilet tissue exhibits thenovel properties/characteristics of the present invention.

Example 9—3-Ply Toilet Tissue

A toilet tissue according to the present invention, specifically a 3-plytoilet tissue of the present invention is made as follows. As shown inFIG. 10, the method for making a toilet tissue 98 comprises unwinding afirst fibrous structure ply 12 (in this case any of the layered fibrousstructures of Example 1-5 above) and passing it through a first web pathA to an embossing nip 100 formed by a pressure roll 102 and a steelemboss roll 104, a patterned steel emboss roll that contains the embosspattern shown in FIG. 11, which is a mirror image of the pattern, asshown in FIG. 12, that is imparted to the fibrous structure ply 12 andultimately to the fibrous structure 12, for example toilet tissue, asshown in FIG. 13. After passing through the embossing nip 100, theembossed first fibrous structure ply 12 has adhesive/glue applied to itvia a gravure roll/applicator roll system 106, wherein the applicatorroll has a first pattern that results in a first plybond area in theresulting toilet tissue.

A second fibrous structure ply 14 (in this case the web material ofExample 6 above) is unwound and passed through a second web path B andthen through a third web path C and then around a steel emboss roll 104and has adhesive/glue applied to it via a gravure roll/applicator rollsystem 106, wherein the applicator roll has a first pattern that resultsin a second plybond area different from and less than the first plybondarea in the resulting toilet tissue.

A third fibrous structure ply 16 (in this case the web material ofExample 7 above) is unwound and passed through a fourth web path D andthen to a marrying nip 108 where it is married and bonded to the secondfibrous structure ply 14 via the adhesive/glue present on the secondfibrous structure ply 14 to form a 2-ply precursor fibrous structure112.

The first fibrous structure ply 12 and the 2-ply precursor fibrousstructure 112 are then passed to the marrying nip 108 where it ismarried and bonded to the second fibrous structure ply 14 via theadhesive/glue present on the second fibrous structure ply 14 to form a3-ply toilet tissue which is then converted into 3-ply toilet tissuefinished product rolls. The resulting 3-ply toilet tissue exhibits thenovel properties/characteristics of the present invention.

Test Methods

Unless otherwise specified, all tests described herein including thosedescribed under the Definitions section and the following test methodsare conducted on samples that have been conditioned in a conditionedroom at a temperature of 23° C.±1.0° C. and a relative humidity of50%±2% for a minimum of 24 hours prior to the test. All plastic andpaper board packaging articles of manufacture, if any, must be carefullyremoved from the samples prior to testing. The samples tested are“usable units.” “Usable units” as used herein means sheets, flats fromroll stock, pre-converted flats, fibrous structure, and/or single ormulti-ply products. Except where noted all tests are conducted in suchconditioned room, all tests are conducted under the same environmentalconditions and in such conditioned room. Discard any damaged product. Donot test samples that have defects such as wrinkles, tears, holes, andlike. All instruments are calibrated according to manufacturer'sspecifications.

Basis Weight Test Method

Basis weight of a fibrous structure is measured on stacks of twelveusable units using a top loading analytical balance with a resolution of±0.001 g. The balance is protected from air drafts and otherdisturbances using a draft shield. A precision cutting die, measuring8.890 cm±0.00889 cm by 8.890 cm±0.00889 cm is used to prepare allsamples.

With a precision cutting die, cut the samples into squares. Combine thecut squares to form a stack twelve samples thick. Measure the mass ofthe sample stack and record the result to the nearest 0.001 g.

The Basis Weight is calculated in g/m² as follows:

Basis Weight=(Mass of stack)/[(Area of 1 square in stack)×(No. ofsquares in stack)]

Basis Weight (g/m²)=Mass of stack (g)/[79.032 (cm²)/10,000 (cm²/m²)×12]

Report result to the nearest 0.1 g/m². Sample dimensions can be changedor varied using a similar precision cutter as mentioned above, so as atleast 645 square centimeters of sample area is in the stack.

Average Diameter Test Method

This Average Diameter Test Method is used to determine the averagediameters of fibrous elements, such as filaments and/or fibers, wheretheir known average diameters are not already known. For example,average diameters of commercially available fibers, such as rayonfibers, have known lengths whereas average diameters of spun filaments,such as spun hydroxyl polymer filaments, would be determined as setforth immediately below. Further, pulp fibers, such as wood pulp fibers,especially commercially available wood pulp fibers would have knowndiameter (width) from the supplier of the wood pulp or are generallyknown in the industry and/or can ultimately be measured according to theKajaani FiberLab Fiber Analyzer SubTest Method described below.

A fibrous structure comprising filaments of appropriate basis weight(approximately 5 to 20 grams/square meter) is cut into a rectangularshape sample, approximately 20 mm by 35 mm. The sample is then coatedusing a SEM sputter coater (EMS Inc, PA, USA) with gold so as to makethe filaments relatively opaque. Typical coating thickness is between 50and 250 nm. The sample is then mounted between two standard microscopeslides and compressed together using small binder clips. The sample isimaged using a 10× objective on an Olympus BHS microscope with themicroscope light-collimating lens moved as far from the objective lensas possible. Images are captured using a Nikon D1 digital camera. AGlass microscope micrometer is used to calibrate the spatial distancesof the images. The approximate resolution of the images is 1 μm/pixel.Images will typically show a distinct bimodal distribution in theintensity histogram corresponding to the filaments and the background.Camera adjustments or different basis weights are used to achieve anacceptable bimodal distribution. Typically, 10 images per sample aretaken and the image analysis results averaged.

The images are analyzed in a similar manner to that described by B.Pourdeyhimi, R. and R. Dent in “Measuring fiber diameter distribution innonwovens” (Textile Res. J. 69(4) 233-236, 1999). Digital images areanalyzed by computer using the MATLAB (Version. 6.1) and the MATLABImage Processing Tool Box (Version 3.) The image is first converted intoa grayscale. The image is then binarized into black and white pixelsusing a threshold value that minimizes the intraclass variance of thethresholded black and white pixels. Once the image has been binarized,the image is skeletonized to locate the center of each fiber in theimage. The distance transform of the binarized image is also computed.The scalar product of the skeletonized image and the distance mapprovides an image whose pixel intensity is either zero or the radius ofthe fiber at that location. Pixels within one radius of the junctionbetween two overlapping fibers are not counted if the distance theyrepresent is smaller than the radius of the junction. The remainingpixels are then used to compute a length-weighted histogram of filamentdiameters contained in the image.

Kajaani FiberLab Fiber Analyzer SubTest Method

Instrument Start-Up:

-   -   1. Turn on Kajaani FiberLab Fiber Analyzer unit first, then        computer and monitor.    -   2. Start FiberLab program on computer.

Instrument Operation:

-   -   1. File→New (or click on New File icon)    -   2. “New Fiber Analysis” screen pops up.        -   a. Sample Point: select the folder you would like data            stored in (to add a new folder see “Adding a New Folder”        -   b. Name: add condition or sample name/identifier here        -   c. Date        -   d. Time        -   e. Sample Weight: mg of dry fiber in the 50 ml sample (can            leave blank if NOT measuring for coarseness). This is the            number calculated in #10 of Sample Prep below.    -   3. Make sure 50 ml of sample is placed in a “Kajaani beaker” and        click “Start”    -   4. Optional: Distribution→Measured Values        -   a. Fibers: the final count of measured fibers should be at            least 10,000        -   b. Fibers/sec: this number must stay below 70 fibers/sec or            the sample will automatically be diluted. If the sample is            diluted during an analysis, the coarseness value will be            invalid and will need to be discarded.    -   5. A bar indicating the measurement status of a sample appears        on the computer monitor. Do not start an analysis until the        indicated status is “Wait State”. When the analysis is        completed, wait for “Wait State” to appear, then close the “New        Fiber Analysis” window. You can now repeat #1-3/4    -   6. When finished with all samples, close the FiberLab program        before turning off the Kajaani FiberLab analyzer unit.    -   7. Shutdown computer.

Sample Preparation:

Target Sample Size:

Softwood: 4 mg/50 ml→160 mg BD in 2000 ml (˜170-175 mg from sheet)

Hardwood: 1 mg/50 ml→40 mg BD in 2000 ml (˜40-45 mg from sheet)

-   -   1. For n=3 analysis, weigh and record weight of sample torn        (avoiding cut edges) from 3 different pulp sheets of same sample        using guidelines above for sample size. Place weighed samples        into a suitable container for soaking of pulp.    -   2. Using the 3 sheets that samples were torn from, perform        moisture content analysis. Note: This step can be skipped if        coarseness measurement is not required.    -   3. Calculate the actual bone dry weight of the samples weighed        in #1, by using the average moisture determined in #2.    -   4. Allow pulp samples to soak in water for 10-15 minutes.    -   5. Place Pt sample and soaking water into the Kajaani manual        disintegrator. Fill disintegrator up to 250 ml mark with more        water.    -   6. Using the “hand dasher”, plunge up and down until sample is        separated into individual fibers.    -   7. Transfer sample to a 2000 ml volumetric flask. Make sure to        wash off and collect any fibers that may have adhered to the        dasher.    -   8. Dilute up to 2000 ml mark. It is important to be as precise        as possible for repeatable coarseness results.    -   9. Take a 50 ml aliquot and place into a Kajaani beaker. Place        beaker on the sampler unit.    -   10. Calculate the mg of BD pulp in 50 ml aliquot        -   a. (BD mg of sample/2000 ml)×50 ml    -   11. Begin Step #1 above in Instrument Operation

The water used in this method is City of Cincinnati Water or equivalenthaving the following properties: Total Hardness=155 mg/L as CaCO₃;Calcium content=33.2 mg/L; Magnesium content=17.5 mg/L; Phosphatecontent=0.0462

Adding a New Folder to Sample Point Menu:

-   -   1. Settings→Common Settings→Sample Folders        -   a. Type in name of new folder→Add→OK        -   Note: You must close the FiberLab program and re-open            program to see the new folder appear in the menu.

Collecting Data in Excel File:

-   -   1. Start FiberLab's Collect 1.12 program.    -   2. Open Windows Explorer (not to full screen—you must be able to        see both the Explorer and the Collect windows.    -   3. In Windows Explorer . . . Select folder that data was stored        in    -   4. Highlight data to be put in Excel→right click on Copy→drag        highlighted samples to the Collect window→Save text    -   5. Click “Save In” menu bar and select “My briefcase”. Open the        2007 folder, type in file name and click Save. A message will        appear saying the selected samples have been saved. Click OK        (the sample names will disappear from the Collect window.    -   6. Open Excel. Then . . . Open→Look In “My Briefcase” →2007→at        bottom, select “All Files (*.*)” in the “Files of Type” bar→find        text file just saved and open→click thru the Text Import Wizard        screens (next, next, finish)

Caliper Test Method

Caliper of a toilet tissue and/or fibrous structure ply is measuredusing a ProGage Thickness Tester (Thwing-Albert Instrument Company, WestBerlin, N.J.) with a pressure foot diameter of 5.08 cm (area of 6.45cm²) at a pressure of 14.73 g/cm². Four (4) samples are prepared bycutting of a usable unit such that each cut sample is at least 16.13 cmper side, avoiding creases, folds, and obvious defects. An individualspecimen is placed on the anvil with the specimen centered underneaththe pressure foot. The foot is lowered at 0.076 cm/sec to an appliedpressure of 14.73 g/cm². The reading is taken after 3 sec dwell time,and the foot is raised. The measure is repeated in like fashion for theremaining 3 specimens. The caliper is calculated as the average caliperof the four specimens and is reported in mils (0.001 in) to the nearest0.1 mils.

Dry Tensile Test Method: Elongation, Tensile Strength, TEA and Modulus

Elongation, Tensile Strength, TEA and Tangent Modulus are measured on aconstant rate of extension tensile tester with computer interface (asuitable instrument is the EJA Vantage from the Thwing-Albert InstrumentCo. Wet Berlin, N.J.) using a load cell for which the forces measuredare within 10% to 90% of the limit of the load cell. Both the movable(upper) and stationary (lower) pneumatic jaws are fitted with smoothstainless steel faced grips, with a design suitable for testing 1 inchwide sheet material (Thwing-Albert item #733GC). An air pressure ofabout 60 psi is supplied to the jaws.

Twenty usable units of fibrous structures are divided into four stacksof five usable units each. The usable units in each stack areconsistently oriented with respect to machine direction (MD) and crossdirection (CD). Two of the stacks are designated for testing in the MDand two for CD. Using a one inch precision cutter (Thwing Albert) take aCD stack and cut two, 1.00 in ±0.01 in wide by at least 3.0 in longstrips from each CD stack (long dimension in CD). Each strip is fiveusable unit layers thick and will be treated as a unitary specimen fortesting. In like fashion cut the remaining CD stack and the two MDstacks (long dimension in MD) to give a total of 8 specimens (fivelayers each), four CD and four MD.

Program the tensile tester to perform an extension test, collectingforce and extension data at an acquisition rate of 20 Hz as thecrosshead raises at a rate of 4.00 in/min (10.16 cm/min) until thespecimen breaks. The break sensitivity is set to 50%, i.e., the test isterminated when the measured force drops to 50% of the maximum peakforce, after which the crosshead is returned to its original position.

Set the gage length to 2.00 inches. Zero the crosshead and load cell.Insert the specimen into the upper and lower open grips such that atleast 0.5 inches of specimen length is contained each grip. Alignspecimen vertically within the upper and lower jaws, then close theupper grip. Verify specimen is aligned, then close lower grip. Thespecimen should be under enough tension to eliminate any slack, but lessthan 0.05 N of force measured on the load cell. Start the tensile testerand data collection. Repeat testing in like fashion for all four CD andfour MD specimens.

Program the software to calculate the following from the constructedforce (g) verses extension (in) curve:

Tensile Strength is the maximum peak force (g) divided by the product ofthe specimen width (1 in) and the number of usable units in the specimen(5), and then reported as g/in to the nearest 1 g/in.

Adjusted Gage Length is calculated to as the extension measured at 11.12g of force (in) added to the original gage length (in).

Elongation is calculated as the extension at maximum peak force (in)divided by the Adjusted Gage Length (in) multiplied by 100 and reportedas % to the nearest 0.1%.

Tensile Energy Absorption (TEA) is calculated as the area under theforce curve integrated from zero extension to the extension at themaximum peak force (g*in), divided by the product of the adjusted GageLength (in), specimen width (in), and number of usable units in thespecimen (5). This is reported as g*in/in² to the nearest 1 g*in/in².

Replot the force (g) verses extension (in) curve as a force (g) versesstrain curve. Strain is herein defined as the extension (in) divided bythe Adjusted Gage Length (in).

Program the software to calculate the following from the constructedforce (g) verses strain curve:

Tangent Modulus is calculated as the least squares linear regressionusing the first data point from the force (g) verses strain curverecorded after 190.5 g (38.1 g×5 layers) force and the 5 data pointsimmediately preceding and the 5 data points immediately following it.This slope is then divided by the product of the specimen width (2.54cm) and the number of usable units in the specimen (5), and thenreported to the nearest 1 g/cm.

The Tensile Strength (g/in), Elongation (%), TEA (g*in/in²) and TangentModulus (g/cm) are calculated for the four CD specimens and the four MDspecimens. Calculate an average for each parameter separately for the CDand MD specimens.

Calculations:

Geometric Mean Tensile=Square Root of [MD Tensile Strength (g/in)×CDTensile Strength (g/in)]

Geometric Mean Peak Elongation=Square Root of [MD Elongation (%)×CDElongation (%)]

Geometric Mean TEA=Square Root of [MD TEA (g*in/in²)×CD TEA (g*in/in²)]

Geometric Mean Modulus=Square Root of [MD Modulus (g/cm)×CD Modulus(g/cm)]

Total Dry Tensile Strength (TDT)=MD Tensile Strength (g/in)+CD TensileStrength (g/in)

Total TEA=MD TEA (g*in/in²)+CD TEA (g*in/in²)

Total Modulus=MD Modulus (g/cm)+CD Modulus (g/cm)

Tensile Ratio=MD Tensile Strength (g/in)/CD Tensile Strength (g/in)

Wet Tensile Test Method

Wet tensile for a toilet tissue and/or fibrous structure ply is measuredaccording to ASTM D829-97 for “Wet Tensile Breaking Strength of Paperand Paper Products, specifically by method 11.2 “Test Method B—FinchProcedure.” Wet tensile is reported in units of “g/in”. Initial TotalWet Tensile is measured immediately after saturation

Wet Decay Test Method Wet decay (loss of wet tensile) for a toilettissue and/or fibrous structure ply is measured according to the WetTensile Test Method and is the wet tensile of the toilet tissue and/orfibrous structure ply after it has been standing in the soaked conditionin the Finch Cup for 30 minutes. Wet decay is reported in units of “%”.Wet decay is the % loss of Initial Total Wet Tensile after the 30 minutesoaking.

Flexural Rigidity Test Method

The Flexural Rigidity Test Method determines the overhang length of thepresent invention based on the cantilever beam principal. The distance astrip of sample can be extended beyond a flat platform before it bendsthrough a specific angle is measured. The inter-action between sheetweight and sheet stiffness measured as the sheet bends or drapes underits own weight through the given angle under specified test conditionsis used to calculate the sample Bend Length, Flexural Rigidity, andBending Modulus.

The method is performed by cutting rectangular strips of samples of thefibrous structure to be tested, in both the cross direction and themachine direction. The Basis Weight of the sample is determined and theDry Caliper of the samples is measured (as detailed previously). Thesample is placed on a test apparatus that is leveled so as to beperfectly horizontal (ex: with a bubble level) and the short edge of thesample is aligned with the test edge of the apparatus. The sample isgently moved over the edge of the apparatus until it falls under its ownweight to a specified angle. At that point, the length of sampleoverhanging the edge of the instrument is measured.

The apparatus for determining the Flexural Rigidity of fibrousstructures is comprised of a rectangular sample support with amicrometer and fixed angle monitor. The sample support is comprised of ahorizontal plane upon which the sample rectangle can comfortably besupported without any interference at the start of the test. As it isslowly pushed over the edge of the apparatus, it will bend until itbreaks the plane of the fixed angle monitor, at which point themicrometer measures the length of overhang.

Eight samples of 25.4 mm×101.5 mm−152.0 mm are cut in the machinedirection (MD); eight more samples of the same size are cut in the crossdirection (CD). It is important that adjacent cuts are made exactlyperpendicular to each other so that each angle is exactly 90 degrees.Samples are arranged such that the same surface is facing up. Four ofthe MD samples are overturned and four of the CD samples are overturnedand marks are made at the extreme end of each, such that four MD sampleswill be tested with one side facing up and the other four MD sampleswill be tested with the other side facing up. The same is true for theCD samples with four being tested with one side up and four with theother side facing up.

A sample is then centered in a channel on the horizontal plane of theapparatus with one short edge exactly aligned with the edge of theapparatus. The channel is slightly oversized for the sample that was cutand aligns with the orientation of the rectangular support, such thatthe sample does not contact the sides of the channel A lightweight slidebar is lowered over the sample resting in the groove such that the barcan make good contact with the sample and push it forward over the edgeof the apparatus. The leading edge of the slide bar is also aligned withthe edge of the apparatus and completely covers the sample. Themicrometer is aligned with the slide bar and measures the distance theslide bar, thus the sample, advances.

From the back edge of the slide bar, the bar and sample are pushedforward at a rate of approximately 8-13 cm per second until the leadingedge of the sample strip bends down and breaks the plane of the fixedangle measurement, set to 45°. At this point, the measurement foroverhang is made by reading the micrometer to the nearest 0.5 mm and isreported in units of cm.

The procedure is repeated for each of the 15 remaining samples of thefibrous structure.

Calculations:

-   -   Flexural Rigidity is calculated from the overhang length as        follows:

Bend Length=Overhang length/2

-   -   Where overhang length is the average of the 16 results        collected.        -   The calculation for Flexural Rigidity (G) is:

G=0.1629*W*C ³(mg·cm)

-   -   Where W is the sample basis weight in pounds/3000 ft² and C is        the bend length in cm. The constant 0.1629 converts units to        yield Flexural Rigidity (G) in units of milligram·cm.    -   Bending Modulus (Q)=Flexural Rigidity (G)/Moment of Inertia (I)        per unit area.

Q = G/I $Q = \frac{732*G}{{{Caliper}({mils})}^{3}}$

Plate Stiffness Test Method

As used herein, the “Plate Stiffness” test is a measure of stiffness ofa flat sample of a toilet tissue and/or fibrous structure ply as it isdeformed downward into a hole beneath the sample. For the test, thesample is modeled as an infinite plate with thickness “t” that resideson a flat surface where it is centered over a hole with radius “R”. Acentral force “F” applied to the tissue directly over the center of thehole deflects the tissue down into the hole by a distance “w”. For alinear elastic material, the deflection can be predicted by:

$w = {\frac{3F}{4\pi \; {Et}^{3}}\left( {1 - v} \right)\left( {3 + v} \right)R^{2}}$

where “E” is the effective linear elastic modulus, “v” is the Poisson'sratio, “R” is the radius of the hole, and “t” is the thickness of thetissue, taken as the caliper in millimeters measured on a stack of 4 or5 tissues under a load of about 0.29 psi. Taking Poisson's ratio as 0.1(the solution is not highly sensitive to this parameter, so theinaccuracy due to the assumed value is likely to be minor), the previousequation can be rewritten for “w” to estimate the effective modulus as afunction of the flexibility test results:

$E \approx {\frac{3R^{2}}{4t^{3}}\frac{F}{w}}$

The test results are carried out using an MTS Alliance RT/1, InsightRenew, or similar model testing machine (MTS Systems Corp., EdenPrairie, Minn.), with a 50 newton load cell, and data acquisition rateof at least 25 force points per second. As a stack of four tissue sheets(created without any bending, pressing, or straining) at least2.5-inches by 2.5 inches, but no more than 5.0 inches by 5.0 inches,oriented in the same direction, sits centered over a hole of radius15.75 mm on a support plate, a blunt probe of 3.15 mm radius descends ata speed of 20 mm/min. When the probe tip descends to 1 mm below theplane of the support plate, the test is terminated. The maximum slope(using least squares regression) in grams of force/mm over any 0.5 mmspan during the test is recorded (this maximum slope generally occurs atthe end of the stroke). The load cell monitors the applied force and theposition of the probe tip relative to the plane of the support plate isalso monitored. The peak load is recorded, and “E” is estimated usingthe above equation.

Calculations:

The Plate Stiffness “S” per unit width can then be calculated as:

$S = \frac{{Et}^{3}}{12}$

and is expressed in units of Newtons*millimeters. The Testworks programuses the following formula to calculate stiffness (or can be calculatedmanually from the raw data output):

$S = {\left( \frac{F}{w} \right)\left\lbrack \frac{\left( {3 + v} \right)R^{2}}{16\pi} \right\rbrack}$

wherein “F/w” is max slope (force divided by deflection), “v” isPoisson's ratio taken as 0.1, and “R” is the ring radius.

The same sample stack (as used above) is then flipped upside down andretested in the same manner as previously described. This test is runthree more times (with the different sample stacks). Thus, eight Svalues are calculated from four 4-sheet stacks of the same sample. Thenumerical average of these eight S values is reported as Plate Stiffnessfor the sample.

Plate Stiffness, Basis Weight Normalized is the quotient of the AveragePlate Stiffness, S, in N·mm and the Basis Weight, in grams per squaremeter (gsm), per the Basis Weight Test Method.

${\text{Plate Stiffness,}\text{BW}\text{Normalized}} = \frac{{\text{Avg}\text{Plate Stiffness}},{{{}_{}^{}{}_{}^{}}\left( {N*{mm}} \right)}}{{BW}({gsm})}$

Roll Compressibility Test Method

Roll Compressibility (Percent Compressibility) is determined using theRoll Diameter Tester 1000 as shown in FIG. 12. It is comprised of asupport stand made of two aluminum plates, a base plate 1001 and avertical plate 1002 mounted perpendicular to the base, a sample shaft1003 to mount the test roll, and a bar 1004 used to suspend a precisiondiameter tape 1005 that wraps around the circumference of the test roll.Two different weights 1006 and 1007 are suspended from the diameter tapeto apply a confining force during the uncompressed and compressedmeasurement. All testing is performed in a conditioned room maintainedat about 23° C.±2 C.° and about 50%±2% relative humidity.

The diameter of the test roll is measured directly using a Pi® tape orequivalent precision diameter tape (e.g. an Executive Diameter tapeavailable from Apex Tool Group, LLC, Apex, N.C., Model No. W606PD) whichconverts the circumferential distance into a diameter measurement so theroll diameter is directly read from the scale. The diameter tape isgraduated to 0.01 inch increments with accuracy certified to 0.001 inchand traceable to NIST. The tape is 0.25 in wide and is made of flexiblemetal that conforms to the curvature of the test roll but is notelongated under the 1100 g loading used for this test. If necessary thediameter tape is shortened from its original length to a length thatallows both of the attached weights to hang freely during the test, yetis still long enough to wrap completely around the test roll beingmeasured. The cut end of the tape is modified to allow for hanging of aweight (e.g. a loop). All weights used are calibrated, Class F hookedweights, traceable to NIST.

The aluminum support stand is approximately 600 mm tall and stableenough to support the test roll horizontally throughout the test. Thesample shaft 1003 is a smooth aluminum cylinder that is mountedperpendicularly to the vertical plate 1002 approximately 485 mm from thebase. The shaft has a diameter that is at least 90% of the innerdiameter of the roll and longer than the width of the roll. A smallsteel bar 1004 approximately 6.3 mm diameter is mounted perpendicular tothe vertical plate 1002 approximately 570 mm from the base andvertically aligned with the sample shaft. The diameter tape is suspendedfrom a point along the length of the bar corresponding to the midpointof a mounted test roll. The height of the tape is adjusted such that thezero mark is vertically aligned with the horizontal midline of thesample shaft when a test roll is not present. Condition the samples atabout 23° C.±2 C.° and about 50%±2% relative humidity for 2 hours priorto testing. Rolls with cores that are crushed, bent or damaged shouldnot be tested. Place the test roll on the sample shaft 1003 such thatthe direction the paper was rolled onto its core is the same directionthe diameter tape will be wrapped around the test roll. Align themidpoint of the roll's width with the suspended diameter tape. Looselyloop the diameter tape 1004 around the circumference of the roll,placing the tape edges directly adjacent to each other with the surfaceof the tape lying flat against the test sample. Carefully, withoutapplying any additional force, hang the 100 g weight 1006 from the freeend of the tape, letting the weighted end hang freely without swinging.Wait 3 seconds. At the intersection of the diameter tape 1008, read thediameter aligned with the zero mark of the diameter tape and record asthe Original Roll Diameter to the nearest 0.01 inches. With the diametertape still in place, and without any undue delay, carefully hang the1000 g weight 1007 from the bottom of the 100 g weight, for a totalweight of 1100 g. Wait 3 seconds. Again read the roll diameter from thetape and record as the Compressed Roll Diameter to the nearest 0.01inch. Calculate percent compressibility to the according to thefollowing equation and record to the nearest 0.1%:

${\% \mspace{14mu} \text{Compressibility}} = {\frac{\begin{matrix}{\left( \text{Orginal Roll Diameter} \right) -} \\\left( \text{Compressed Roll Diamater} \right)\end{matrix}}{\text{Original Roll Diameter}} \times 100}$

Repeat the testing on 10 replicate rolls and record the separate resultsto the nearest 0.1%. Average the 10 results and report as the PercentCompressibility to the nearest 0.1%.

CRT Test Method

The absorption (wicking) of water by an absorbent fibrous structure(sample) is measured over time. A sample is placed horizontally in theinstrument and is supported by an open weave net structure that rests ona balance. The test is initiated when a tube connected to a waterreservoir is raised and the meniscus makes contact with the center ofthe sample from beneath, at a small negative pressure. Absorption isallowed to occur for 2 seconds after which the contact is broken and thecumulative rate for the first 2 seconds is calculated.

Apparatus

Conditioned Room—Temperature is controlled from 73° F.+2° F. (23° C.+1°C.). Relative Humidity is controlled from 50%±2%

Sample Preparation—Product samples are cut using hydraulic/pneumaticprecision cutter into 7.62 cm diameter circles, at least 2.54 cm fromany edge, cutting 2 replicates for each test.

Capacity Rate Tester (CRT)—The CRT is an absorbency tester capable ofmeasuring capacity and rate. The CRT consists of a balance (0.001 g), onwhich rests on a woven grid (using nylon monofilament line having a0.014″ diameter) placed over a small reservoir with a delivery tube inthe center. This reservoir is filled by the action of solenoid valves,which help to connect the sample supply reservoir to an intermediatereservoir, the water level of which is monitored by an optical sensor.The CRT is run with a −2 mm water column, controlled by adjusting theheight of water in the supply reservoir.

Software—LabView based custom software specific to CRT Version 4.2 orlater.

Water—Distilled water with conductivity <10 μS/cm (target <5 μS/cm) @25° C.

For this method, a usable unit is described as one finished product unitregardless of the number of plies. Condition all samples with packagingmaterials removed for a minimum of 2 hours prior to testing. Discard atleast the first ten usable units from the roll. Remove two usable unitsand cut one 7.62 cm circular sample from the center of each usable unitfor a total of 2 replicates for each test result. Do not test sampleswith defects such as wrinkles, tears, holes, etc. Replace with anotherusable unit which is free of such defects

Pre-Test Set-Up

-   -   1. The water height in the reservoir tank is set −2.0 mm below        the top of the support rack (where the sample will be placed).    -   2. The supply tube (8 mm I.D.) is centered with respect to the        support net.    -   3. Test samples are cut into circles of 7.62 cm diameter and        equilibrated at Tappi environment conditions for a minimum of 2        hours.

Test Description

-   -   1. After pressing the start button on the software application,        the supply tube moves to 0.33 mm below the water height in the        reserve tank. This creates a small meniscus of water above the        supply tube to ensure test initiation. A valve between the tank        and the supply tube closes, and the scale is zeroed.    -   2. The software prompts you to “load a sample”. A sample is        placed on the support net, centering it over the supply tube,        and with the side facing the outside of the roll placed        downward.    -   3. Close the balance windows, and press the “OK” button—the        software records the dry weight of the circle.    -   4. The software prompts you to “place cover on sample”. The        plastic cover is placed on top of the sample, on top of the        support net. The plastic cover has a center pin (which is flush        with the outside rim) to ensure that the sample is in the proper        position to establish hydraulic connection. Four other pins, 1        mm shorter in depth, are positioned 1.25-1.5 inches radially        away from the center pin to ensure the sample is flat during the        test. The sample cover rim should not contact the sheet. Close        the top balance window and click “OK”.    -   5. The software re-zeroes the scale and then moves the supply        tube towards the sample. When the supply tube reaches its        destination, which is 0.33 mm below the support net, the valve        opens (i.e., the valve between the reserve tank and the supply        tube), and hydraulic connection is established between the        supply tube and the sample. Data acquisition occurs at a rate of        5 Hz, and is started about 0.4 seconds before water contacts the        sample.    -   6. The test runs for 2 seconds. After this, the supply tube        pulls away from the sample to break the hydraulic connection.    -   7. The wet sample is removed from the support net. Residual        water on the support net and cover are dried with a paper towel.    -   8. Repeat until all samples are tested.    -   9. After each test is run, a *.txt file is created (typically        stored in the CRT/data/rate directory) with a file name as typed        at the start of the test. The file contains all the test set-up        parameters, dry sample weight, and cumulative water absorbed (g)        vs. time (sec) data collected from the test.    -   10. The software records the weight of water acquisition and the        time and from this calculates the CRT Rate (g/sec) and the CRT        Capacity (g/g, which is grams water/gram fibrous structure).

Weight Average Molecular Weight Test Method

The weight average molecular weight and the molecular weightdistribution (MWD) are determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC)using a mixed bed column. The column (Waters linear ultrahydrogel,length/ID: 300×7.8 mm) is calibrated with a narrow molecular weightdistribution polysaccharide, 107,000 g/mol from Polymer Laboratories).The calibration standards are prepared by dissolving 0.024 g ofpolysaccharide and 6.55 g of the mobile phase in a scintillation vial ata concentration of 4 mg/ml. The solution sits undisturbed overnight.Then it is gently swirled and filtered with a 5 micron nylon syringefilter into an auto-sampler vial. The filtered sample solution is takenup by the auto-sampler to flush out previous test materials in a 100 μLinjection loop and inject the present test material into the column. Thecolumn is held at 50° C. using a Waters TCM column heater. The sampleeluded from the column is measured against the mobile phase backgroundby a differential refractive index detector (Wyatt Optilab REXinterferometric refractometer) and a multi-angle later light scatteringdetector (Wyatt DAWN Heleos 18 angle laser light detector) held at 50°C. The mobile phase is water with 0.03M potassium phosphate, 0.2M sodiumnitrate, and 0.02% sodium azide. The flowrate is set at 0.8 mL/min witha run time of 35 minutes.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application and any patent application or patent to which thisapplication claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded orotherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission thatit is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimedherein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other referenceor references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention.Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in thisdocument conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in adocument incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assignedto that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fibrous structure comprising a movable surfacecomprising a plurality of fibrous elements that are bonded at bondsites, wherein at least two of the bond sites exhibit an edge-to-edgebond distance of at least 1 mm.
 2. The fibrous structure according toclaim 1 wherein at least one of the fibrous elements comprises a fiber.3. The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one ofthe fibrous elements comprises a filament.
 4. The fibrous structureaccording to claim 1 wherein at least one of the fibrous elementscomprises a plurality of fibers and at least one of the fibrous elementscomprises a plurality of filaments.
 5. The fibrous structure accordingto claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure comprises a layered fibrousstructure ply wherein a first layer comprises the plurality of fibersand a second layer comprises the plurality of filaments.
 6. The fibrousstructure according to claim 5 wherein the second layer forms at least aportion of an exterior surface of the toilet tissue.
 7. The fibrousstructure according to claim 6 wherein a scrim material is present on atleast a portion of the second layer.
 8. The fibrous structure accordingto claim 7 wherein the scrim material comprises filaments.
 9. Thefibrous structure according to claim 8 wherein the scrim materialfilaments comprise polyvinyl alcohol.
 10. The fibrous structureaccording to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure comprises two or morefibrous structure plies.
 11. The fibrous structure according to claim 10wherein the fibrous structure comprises a first fibrous structure plyadhesively bonded to a second fibrous structure ply.
 12. The fibrousstructure according to claim 1 wherein the edge-to-edge bond distance isat least 1.5 mm.
 13. The fibrous structure according to claim 1 whereinthe fibrous structure exhibits a caliper of greater than 20.0 mils asmeasured according to the Caliper Test Method.
 14. The fibrous structureaccording to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure exhibits a caliper offrom about 27.0 to about 32.0 mils as measured according to the CaliperTest Method.
 15. The fibrous structure according to claim 1 wherein thefibrous structure exhibits a CRT Capacity of greater than 15 g/g asmeasured according to the CRT Test Method.
 16. The fibrous structureaccording to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure exhibits a PlateStiffness of less than about 10 N*mm as measured according to the PlateStiffness Test Method.
 17. The fibrous structure according to claim 1wherein the fibrous structure exhibits a CRT Rate of less than about 1.0g/sec as measured according to the CRT Test Method.
 18. The fibrousstructure according to claim 1 wherein the fibrous structure comprises astructured fibrous structure ply.
 19. A sanitary tissue productcomprising a fibrous structure according to claim
 1. 20. A roll offibrous structure comprising a fibrous structure according to claim 1.